Blind Devotion
by windwhisprer
Summary: [AU 3x9] On a dark night, Goku meets a beautiful blond who holds many secrets behind unseeing eyes of liquid velvet. The line between reality and fiction blurs until there's nothing but euphoria.
1. Chapter One

**A/N: **Hello everyone, and welcome to another fic by me. Since _I'll Wait Forever_ and _The Importance of Prioritizing_ are ending, I decided to add something else to the mix to entertain myself. This will mainly focus on SanzoGoku with implied GojyoHakkai and possibly a bit of HomuraGoku, if Homura decides to be an asshole, which I think, he will.

Anyway, I have not prewritten anything, so if this crashes and burns I will be sad. Please review and make sure the fic doesn't burst into flames. Thank you.

C&C appreciated.

**Blind Devotion**

**Chapter One**

"Do you really have to go?"

Nataku gave a soft sigh, turning back to face holding sunken golden eyes. Goku stared at him from the doorway, clad in easy slacks and a t-shirt that was far too big for his lithe frame. His hair was mused, as though he'd just rolled out of bed. Nataku knew better. The boy had been up for hours, helping him pack. They'd had a great time talking and reminiscing through the old boxes that hadn't been touched in years. But now, the pair felt oddly melancholy as they stood facing each other for the last time for the next year. Nataku let his eyes trail down to the final bag clasped loosely in his hands. The rest were already packed tightly in his car.

"Yeah, I do…" he whispered, letting his eyes trail around the ground for a moment. He felt horrible. He'd been waiting to do this for a long time, so it wasn't as though he could skip out, but at the same time he didn't want to desert Goku like this. For as long as he could remember the young brunet had had abandonment issues, relating back to when his parents left him to die in an old abandoned house. He was always clinging to anyone who would stay with him, and for as long as they had been friends Nataku had allowed the boy to latch onto him. That's partly why leaving now was so hard. "But it's only a year, right? I'll be back soon."

Goku let his golden gaze trail down towards the floor again tracing the hardwood with his eyes. "Yeah, I guess," he muttered softly, subconsciously rubbing his arm for comfort. Nataku bit his lip.

"Goku, if you want I can put this off for another year or—"

"No!" Goku snapped loudly, his head whirling up so he could meet Nataku's eye. "You've wanted to travel around Europe for as long as I've known you. Now that we're out of high school this might be your only chance before college," Goku let his tone drop, before smiling encouragingly. "I don't want to take that away from you. The apartment is just going to be a little lonely, that's all."

Nataku glanced up to take in the apartment around him, before turning back to Goku with another smile. "Okay. Just make sure your new roommate doesn't mess up my room completely while I'm gone, okay?" he asked.

Goku laughed softly. "C'mon Nataku, you know I couldn't replace you."

"I'm not saying you should," Nataku added as his gaze trailed back to the living room, over to the open door which led to the kitchen. He wanted to make sure he remembered every piece of it before he left. "But I don't want you working yourself to the bone trying to afford this place yourself."

"Okay…" Goku said, before his gaze fell back to the floor, and the rubbing began again. With a grin, he turned back to his best friend. "Write every day, okay?"

Nataku laughed. "As often as I can."

A moment of silence passed between the boys and in that moment they allowed themselves to speak in a silent language the things that they couldn't say out loud. After a minute, Nataku dropped his bag and the boys pulled each other into a vice-like hug. They stood in the middle of the entryway a moment longer, clinging to each other for dear life. Goku could feel tears stinging the back of his eyes. "M'gonna miss you…"

"I'll miss you too," Nataku replied, burying his face into his friend's shoulder.

After a few more minutes in each other's stranglehold, the pair reluctantly pulled apart. Goku smiled brokenly, wiping his eyes. Nataku laughed, blinking back his own set of tears. "Don't cry now," he said, laughingly.

Goku laughed. "Like you can talk."

The pair broke apart completely, and Nataku grabbed his bag. Turning back, he offered one last smile. "I'll see you, Goku."

"Yeah, real soon Nataku." Goku replied softly, watching as the dark haired boy offered one last smile before turning and letting the door shut behind him.

Slowly, Goku took a shaky breath, before turning to what was left of the apartment behind him. The entire apartment looked oddly big now that he was alone in it. And spacious. The places were Nataku's things had been had been cleared out, leaving the place oddly bare. He wanted nothing more then to go with Nataku to the airport and see him off, but he had to work in an hour. He'd tried to book it off, but his manager had been unable to find a replacement and Nataku had assured him that it really wasn't important. Goku wanted to be there, but he knew it was more important to keep his job. He didn't want to lose his apartment. The apartment he and Nataku loved and shared.

Goku fell to the couch with a sigh, allowing his eyes to slide closed. He wanted nothing more then to keep the apartment just how Nataku had left it, but another part of him didn't think he'd be able to live alone for over a year. He'd saved up more then enough money to support himself, but he was afraid it would be the loneliness that would get him. The nineteen-year-old opened his eyes, looking up towards the ceiling. He knew he had to have a shower, get dressed and go to work. He really didn't want to. He wanted to roll into bed and not get out for several days, but he had to keep up appearances. He didn't want people worrying over him. People tended to do that a lot.

"I don' wanna!" he cried stubbornly, falling into the couch and beating his fists into the pillows. His best friend since fifth grade just left him alone for a year. He didn't want to move or think or speak or do anything. He was just wanted to lie completely still and allow TV to rot his brain.

An image of his redheaded friend flashed to mind, and Goku sighed, pulling himself from the couch and heading towards the bathroom for a shower.

---

"What's on your mind, tiny?"

Goku glared at the man beside him, but let the comment pass as he cut the potatoes for French fries. Gojyo stood next to him, long red hair tied back, (Gojyo had point blank refused to succumb to a hairnet) with a crimson gaze that scrutinized him as he cut sloppily. Gojyo had been one of Goku's closest friends. He was nowhere as near as close as Nataku, but Goku still thought of the man as an honorary older brother; though he would rather bite through his own tongue then admit it aloud. The pair had worked together at their restaurant for several years. Gojyo had loved flirting with the beautiful waitresses when he could and Goku loved sneaking food whenever he could. Despite their differences they both worked as part-time chefs because they loved the food.

Goku cut another potato sloppily, growling when the knife didn't seem to want to go the way he directed it. "Nothing's on my mind," Goku snapped back, finally growing frustrated and glaring at the knife, as if it were to blame for all his problems. Throwing it aside, he grabbed another and growled when the same problem continued.

Gojyo cocked a brow at this, but continued to skin the chicken in front of him. "Nataku left this morning, didn't he?"

Nataku and Gojyo had never really known each other. They didn't exactly fight, but they weren't the best of friends. They had only met a few times, and the pair found they were too different to synch together.

"Yeah…" Goku muttered, finally giving up and leaning against the counter, watching as Gojyo continued to strip the chicken. "Is it really that obvious?"

"A little," Gojyo replied with a sly grin, his eyes never leaving his task. "The way you almost snapped the knife in two there made me figure you were a little stressed."

Goku frowned, but let the teasing slide. Turning his gaze down towards the ground, he studied it for a moment. "I don't know anymore…" Goku muttered softly. "I have to find a new roommate and all that and what if he messes everything up? Y'know? I'm just worried. This whole 'not having Nataku around' is bugging me."

"Geez, your girlfriend leaves for a year and all you can do is bitch," Goku frowned, about to open his mouth to retort before Gojyo beat him to it. "C'mon, be a man. Me and Hakkai are going out drinking tonight. You should come. It might loosen you up."

Goku took a moment to contemplate going out for a night on the town, before frowning. "I'm broke," he said simply.

Gojyo waved his hand dismissively. "I am too, but Hakkai got a raise at his job, and is all excited about it now. He says he's treatin'. Spouting a bunch of crap like that, he brags a lot you know," Gojyo added as he placed the skinless chicken in a bowl and began washing his hands.

Goku raised a brow in question. "Hakkai? Bragging? That's hard to believe."

Gojyo grinned. "Yeah. You wouldn't believe half the stuff he does. It pays livin' with the guy; I have a lot of things to blackmail him with."

Goku laughed. "Ah, the ever-faithful husband and wife; Gojyo and Hakkai. Tell me, Gojyo, does your wife know how often you flirt so shamelessly with some of the poor waitresses?" he asked in a mock-tone, before snickering.

Gojyo frowned, flicking water in his face. "Shut up you idiot, go cut the potatoes."

Goku wrinkled his nose, grabbing a nearby wash cloth and throwing it towards the redhead. As the man turned around, it hit him in the face with a sloppy _splat_, and Goku had to suppress a grin. Goku soon found himself being chased all over the kitchen by a spatula-wielding redhead. It wasn't long until their manager caught them and the fun ended all too soon.

---

The music that boomed through the club vibrated along through the walls, pulsed through the floors like blood pumping to the vital areas of the club. The dance floor was littered with teenagers all jumping and grinding to the music. Waitresses ran back and forth with drinks, wearing barely enough material to cover themselves. People everywhere talked loudly, drinking away the worries of the outside world.

Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku slid into a booth by the wall. Gojyo was grinning like mad, waving to the people he knew and unable to hold back his sheer enjoyment. Hakkai smiled politely while Goku looked around unsure. "Lighten up, shorty," Gojyo said, elbowing him in the side. "It's a club; you're supposed to have fun. Eat, drink and he merry, and all that jazz." Goku frowned deeply at him as the man got to his feet. "I'm gonna grab us some drinks." And then he turned towards the bar.

Goku made a disgusted face as the scent of cigarette smoke began to linger around them. He turned to Hakkai, who had his hands folded on the table and was smiling politely. "How can you stand this stuff, Hakkai?" Goku asked over the pulse of the music. "I don't see how anyone could like all this…"

Hakkai smiled, turning towards him. "You get used to it, I suppose," he answered, waving a cloud of smoke away from him. "Hanging out with Gojyo so long I've become used to bars and clubs like this."

Goku took his time to inspect the people lingering around the club, before shaking his head. Before he could say anything a drink was placed in front of him, and he jumped. Blinking, he turned up towards Gojyo, who just grinned. "C'mon monkey, lighten up."

"Shut up you perverted cockroach," Goku muttered bitterly, sliding the mysterious liquid closer to him. God only knows where the pair had picked up their ridiculous nicknames for each other, but they went as far back as either of them could remember.

"I mean it," Gojyo told him, sliding in the booth next to him and tapping his fingers on the table along with the intoxicating beat of the song. "Just relax tonight, okay? Don't worry about all that other shit."

Goku smirked. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, before bringing the glass to his lips and drinking down greedily.

---

He wasn't sure how many hours had passed, nor how many drinks he'd consumed. All he knew was that it was late and he was pissed drunk. Luckily he was doing better then a certain redhead who couldn't even stand on his own two feet anymore. The three of them tumbled out of the club, spilling loud pounding music and the scent liquor out into the night.

Gojyo continued to laugh, strung over Hakkai's shoulder as the brunet smiled politely, not in the least affected by the amount of alcohol he'd drank. Goku leaned back against the wall for support, attempting to stabilize his stomach as Gojyo grinned slyly up at Hakkai. "Yer purdy…" he slurred out. "C'mon… 'Kai. Let's go home. We can ditch th' brat… he won' notice…" Gojyo whispered a little too audibly. "I wanna see you na—"

"Gojyo!" Hakkai barked, his face turning a dark shade of crimson. "Learn to hold your tongue!"

Gojyo whined, his hands sliding up Hakkai's shirt. "But 'Kai…" Goku made a face while Hakkai batted his hands away, still flushing.

"Imma goin' home then," Goku muttered, wobbling on his feet before steadying himself. "If all you two are gonna do is make out."

Hakkai's face suddenly became concerned. "Are you going to be able to make it home all right, Goku?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah… I'll be fine. Besides, you have a pervy cockroach to deal with," Goku added with a snicker as Gojyo's hands began to make their way towards the brunet's pants. "I'll see yah!" Goku called as he turned, preparing to head home.

He heard Gojyo mutter out his goodbyes as well as Hakkai as the teenager attempted to stumble back towards his apartment. It wasn't far, only a few blocks away from the club they were at. Though it seemed a lot father then usual as the drunken teenager made his way home.

The entire night was dark. It must've been around two am, and the streets were barren. Goku frowned questionably. Usually there were a couple of other people on the street, or at least a car or two. It looked like the entire world had gone quiet. The nineteen-year-old smiled at the tranquility, turning a corner and continuing towards his apartment.

That was when out of no where someone crashed into him, and both off them hit the ground. The man had been running, and Goku could feel the wind being knocked from him as he hit the pavement. _What the hell…? _Was his only coherent thought as he sat upright, looking towards the blond that had knocked him over. The young man could've only been a few years older then himself, and looked absolutely beautiful illuminated by the light of the streetlamp. He cursed softly, sitting up. Suddenly looking panicked, he reached out, collecting the things that he dropped in the collision.

Goku reached out towards a cylinder wrapped in paper, holding out to him. "Here, you dropped this."

The blond looked up at him, and he caught sight of violet eyes that peered at him evenly. He could see emotions and secrets swimming just beneath the surface of liquid velvet. Before he could say anything, the blond snatched the package from his hand, and was running again, gone before Goku could even blink. Goku found himself sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, his palm still turned up from where the package was just a moment ago. Blinking, he regained his composure and stumbled to his feet.

Just as he was about to head home again, three more men tore around the corner, knocking him aside to continue on their way. They seemed like they were in a big hurry. Goku was thrown back against the nearby wall, scowling deeply. "What is it, run over Goku day?" he snapped irritably, but the men were already gone.

Huffing, Goku shoved his hands in his pockets, turning towards his apartment. His mind flashed to the beautiful blond again, and he frowned deeper.

What a crappy day. He hadn't been able to get the blond's name.


	2. Chapter Two

**Blind Devotion**

**Chapter Two**

_Fucking hurts… fucking hurts… fucking hurts…_

His father always told him not to focus on the pain, because that always made it all the much more powerful. It was what gave the pain power over you. But as he ran he could focus on nothing but the throbbing pain that burst from every part of his body. But to hell if he was going to let that stop him. His pursuers would simply not give up tonight, and he clutched the cylinder in his hand, running all the more harder as he shoved it back in his jacket. The sounds of pursuing footsteps all but faded from his mind and soon all he could hear was the sound of his own irregular breathing, the thundering of his heart and the insistent pounding of his own footfalls.

_Legs hurt… arms hurt… eyes hurt…lungs hurt… mouth hurts… throat hurts…_

He continued running, twisting around another alleyway until he was sure he had lost his pursuers. That was a good thing, because his leg was starting to really burn and he wasn't sure he'd be able to run on it for much longer. Just as he burst out onto the darkened streets, he was blinded by the bright light of headlights. He froze, holding his arms up in front of his face to shield himself, listening to the squealing of the tires as it pulled to an abrupt stop. He blinked, allowing his eyes to focus on the car before he cursed audibly.

_He followed me in the car! He's fucking serious! _

Not bothering to wait for his death bringer, he turned and bolted down the street, heading towards the bridge that would connect him to safety. All he had to do was make it across, and then the twisted back alleys of home would cover him. He knew those streets better then anything. But just as it seemed he was halfway across the bridge, the car ripped out from behind him, swerving and cutting off his only means of escape. Startled, he stumbled back. His limbs felt like lead as he greedily sucked in oxygen.

He watched in stun as the dark haired man pushed open the door, standing from his spot in the backseat, smiling the same cocky smile as always. The blond grimaced, turning his head to the side to see his only other means of escape had been blocked off by the three men who had finally caught up. Besides, he doubted he'd be able to outrun him now anyway. He was exhausted, and the pain in his leg was coming back full force.

His wide, frightened eyes turned back to the dark haired man as he stepped up to meet him. He took a step back, hissing when his heel slipped over the edge of the bridge, and his leg began burning something fierce. He cursed. "Aren't you tired, Sanzo?" the dark-haired demon chuckled lowly as he took several more steps towards him.

He grit his teeth, suddenly tempted to jump over the edge of the bridge and face the water's current. It was better then what stood ahead of him. "Shut up," he spat, though his exhaustion and clear exasperation shone through his words.

The demon strolled casually towards him, and he could feel his dams breaking. His protection waning. He was losing control, fast. He needed a way out. An advantage. _Anything!_ His heel slid back over the edge and he grit his teeth again. The dark haired man strut forwards, peeled the glove from his hand and smiled softly. "What's wrong, Sanzo?" he whispered, before laying an ungloved hand across the blond's face. He let out a single, agonized scream before the hand was removed, and he was left gasping for breath. "The pain can end if you just give me what I want."

The blond found himself supported on the nearby wires that held as makeshift guardrails. Despite his fatigue, he managed one pained glare. "Rot in hell," he shot back.

The dark haired man grit his teeth, removing the other glove and causing a small, shameful whimper to form in the blond's throat. "Where is it, Sanzo? I want to know where it is. It can all end if you just give up your damned pride and tell me where you put it!"

Unable to come up with a retort, the blond merely gathered up the last of his saliva and spit on the older man's shoe. Seething in agony, the dark-haired demon placed both ungloved hands on the blond's shoulders. He could only scream, sinking to his knees until the hands were removed. Refusing to fall to the ground, the blond gripped the wires behind him, gritting his teeth against a moan of pain. Growing frustrated, the demon flipped around, motioning to one of his men. "Shien. Come here."

Terror seized through the blond and his eyes shot open. His chin was cupped in the hands of a man who seldom spoke and yet could still demonstrate his ruthlessness. _Not this… I don't want this… _he could only stare before a bright light engulfed his vision. Before he was fully taken in by the light, the blond forced himself to his feet, shoving himself backwards. His back scraped against the thick wires, but his momentum sent him through them, straight over the edge of the bridge and down into the icy waters below.

The river was deep enough that he wouldn't crack his head on a rock and die, but not too much that it was completely safe. He remembered falling into the river, cold water seeping in at him from every angle. He tried to move his deadweight limbs to swim to the surface as his lungs screamed for air. But the more he tried the deeper he sank. The blond could only picture his father's face as he continued to sink deeper and deeper into the black abyss.

_I'm going to die. _

It was the most comforting thought in a long time.

---

It was late when Goku headed home.

He let out a long sigh, finally releasing it after a long day of work. He loved working at the restaurant, no question, but it was on days like this when he felt mentally and physically drained that he wanted nothing more then to curl into bed and never get out. Goku trudged off the train, heading towards his apartment that was only a short walk away. The restaurant was only two stops away from his apartment, and normally Goku loved the walk back home, but tonight he wanted nothing more then to feel the security of his bed as he slept.

_Oh yeah…I still need to find myself a new roommate, _Goku released a long sigh through his nose at the depressing thought, hugging his jacket closer to him as a bitter wind swept over him.

The hot, searing heat of summer seemed to have blown away with the crispy leaves of autumn. Goku realized that winter was rapidly setting in and he dreaded the thought. Winter brought back unnecessary memories. Memories best left forgotten. Goku had always held a strong detest of winter, preferring the hot summer weather then the crippling cold that swept over the land.

Even Christmas held no real magic for him. It never had as a child—hell he never even really experienced Christmas until Nataku had walked into his life and showed it to him. Goku had been overjoyed—little more then thirteen at the time—and had since then spent every Christmas with his best friend. But with bitterness Goku realized that this would be the first Christmas he'd spent alone in a long time. Goku released a soft sigh, dreading the loneliness to come on Christmas morning. Hell he dreaded it the day after as well, and the day after that and the one after that. He wished it would be easy to find a decent person to room with, but Goku had no idea where to even start looking.

That was when a flash of gold caught his attention. Turning, Goku found himself looking out over the deep river that ran near his apartment, almost like a seam that cut through the city. Goku could remember times when he and Nataku had gone fishing there, or even just feel back and relaxed in the deep, warm waters. But there seemed to be something on shore there, and Goku attempted to squint to get a better look. It looked like an old winter jacket, or a garbage bag.

"What in the world…." Goku muttered to himself, coming to a stop and leaning forwards as though it would help him see in the dim light. "Is that…. Holy shit!"

With lightning speed, Goku dropped his bag, throwing himself down the small slope towards the river. He nearly crashed down next to the limp man lying unconscious next to the river, but managed to catch himself. "Hey! Hey, are you okay!?" he cried, holding his hand out to shake the blond awake but afraid he was going to hurt him. Biting his lip, Goku surveyed the unconscious man, finding no blood on him, and decided he could get away with attempting to shake him awake. Laying a hand on his shoulder, Goku retracted it almost immediately when the groan of pain followed.

_Shit! Dislocated shoulder! Why didn't I see that!? _

Gnawing on his lip nervously, Goku scrambled for his cell phone, attempting to call an ambulance. He wasn't sure what other injuries this man had, but he sure didn't want to jar them and find out. Fumbling with the thing, Goku dropped it with a squeak when a hand suddenly clamped on his shoulder. Glancing up, he found the young blond was staring up at him, with unfocusing violet eyes. Goku's voice caught when he realized it was the blond from a few days ago. "D-Don't…" Goku blinked as the man tried to stumble out words. They were nearly a whisper, whisked on by the wind. "Don't let them find me…"

Goku could only watch, a little numb as the blond's eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped towards the ground. Goku could hear his heart pounding in his ears, his breathing coming in irregularly as he scrambled for his cell phone. Dialing the number quickly, he pressed it to his ear.

"Hakkai? It's… Goku… Could you come help me with something?"

---

His apartment wasn't in very good shape. There were empty soup packages all along his kitchen and several spread out through his living room. Pop cans and clothes lay splattered about. Nataku was always the clean one, so insistent about keeping the apartment looking at least livable. Without him the place had fallen into disarray. And now to add to the mess, there was an unconscious blond lying on his floor, and two more men looking slightly concerned.

Goku stood back, gnawing on his fingernail as he watched Hakkai assess the damage on the young blond. Goku thanked the heavens that Hakkai was in his third year at medical school, and could handle whatever it was the blond was going through. Gojyo stood in his kitchen, drinking his pop while looking over at the fallen blond, before his eyes turned up towards Goku. "This is wrong…" he mumbled; the first words uttered in the last twenty minutes.

Nobody said anything in reply.

"We should call a fucking ambulance!" Gojyo screamed finally, standing and crossing over into the living room. "This guy's passed out on your floor for Christ's sake!

"I can't…" Goku whispered, his eyes glued to the blond still laying unmoving, watching over him like a protective mother hen. "He said I can't let them get him. I won't let the police sink their fangs in him."

"We're taking him to the hospital, Goku!" Gojyo shouted, crossing the room in three easy strides so he could look Goku right in the face. "Not the police!"

"Goku's right," came Hakkai's voice from next to the fallen man. He turned his attention up to Gojyo, before turning towards the medical kit lying not far away. "The hospital has to report all gunshot wounds to the police."

Wordlessly, Gojyo demanded to know what the hell he was talking about, before his gaze trailed down to the man's calf, surprised to find a gunshot wound which Hakkai was attending to. Eyes widened, he stumbled back. "Holy fuck he was shot!" His eyes sought out Goku and Hakkai in the dim light, before he growled. "Well how do you guys know he isn't some crazed killer who's going to turn around and kill us all!?"

"He's not, okay!" Goku screamed at him, causing Gojyo to stumble back in shock. "He's just… not. Don't ask how I know, Okay? But I feel like I can trust him…" Confidence lost, Goku turned his eyes towards the ground, studying the hardwood and attempting to keep his attention away from the blond for once.

"This is idiotic…" Gojyo muttered, falling into the nearby sofa and watching as Hakkai removed the bullet from the man's calf, wrapping the wound up. "This is completely idiotic. You know I'm not helping you if he kills you,' he added, looking up through his fingers at Goku, who merely smiled in response.

"Thanks Gojyo," the pair sat in silence as Hakkai finished his work. Time ticked on tediously, before finally the brunet stood, wiping the sweat from his brow and smiling softly.

"He'll be fine," Goku grinned and Gojyo messed up his hair encouragingly. "He's got a dislocated shoulder, which I popped back in place, two bruised ribs, and the gunshot wound in his calf. I suggest you leave him on the floor until he wakes up. Afterwards, you can move him to a bed, or a couch."

Stepping forwards, Hakkai rummaged through his bag for something, before holding a bottle out towards him. "Painkillers. He needs them every six hours. No sooner, no later. Got it?"

Goku reached out, accepting the bottle as if it were his duty. "Got it,' he said with a smile, watching as Hakkai collected his things and Gojyo stood, cracking his shoulder.

"Well pipsqueak. We'll check back in a couple of days, until then, try not to let him kill you," with an encouraging smile, the pair headed towards the door. Goku saw them out, before silently closing the door and leaning back against it. He stared at the motionless blond on the floor, drawing in a shaky breath before stepping up towards him.

He bent down at the man's side, finding his face purely angelic in the dim light. He frowned softly, pushing bangs from his eyes on a reflexive move. "Hey, my name's Goku," he whispered, before pausing, as if waiting for some sort of reply. "Well," he said softly. "It looks like we're going to be roommates for a while."

The sleeping blond did not respond.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay for the monk-abuse! (dances around her room) I'm trying really hard to pour most of the abuse on Sanzo in this story, so don't forget to tell me when I'm putting too much on Goku.

Ug, you do not know how hard it was for me not to turn around and put Dominic as the villain here. (Those who have read _I'll Wait Forever_ will know who I'm talking about) I love Dominic as a villain, but I decided it would be best if I changed up my villains a little. But, it is not who it appears to be! Anyone who can guess who's truly behind all this gets a cookie.

As you can see this isn't going to be just some old Shouja thing. I have interesting plot behind this. Anyway, C&C appreciated. Lots of love.


	3. Chapter Three

**Blind Devotion**

**Chapter Three**

Truly, Goku was glad he didn't have to work that weekend as he lay sprawled across his couch, channel surfing while staring at the TV with dulled eyes. He hadn't slept very well last night. Every six hours he was up, attempting to get the blond on his floor to swallow two goddamn pills so he could go back to sleep. But every time he fell asleep he would wake up to the annoying beeping of his watch and the groaning man on the floor.

He had been lying somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness when the blond began to stir. Unable to become excited as he would've several hours ago, his eyes trailed over to his form. He watched the blond's eyes screw tightly closed, gritting his teeth and whining softly. Goku looked to the clock on the far wall, and sunk deeper into his chair.

"You're an hour early," he muttered, knowing the blond probably couldn't hear him. "Shut up and go back to sleep."

The blond's teeth grit and he began to writhe on the floor, groaning softly. Goku could only watch, tempted to give the man more pain killers, though deciding to heed to Hakkai's warning. The blond's lips parted, and his body went lax. He began mouthing words, whispering something, though it was too soft for Goku to hear. Instantly, Goku sprang to the man's side, pressing his ear close in an attempt to learn anything about the mysterious man on his floor.

However, the blond seemed to be slipping further back into unconsciousness and Goku fisted his hands in annoyance. However, just as he was about to pull away, he caught the blond's last words.

"La pluie noire…" he whispered, before falling back into unconsciousness.

Goku frowned, wondering what language the man was speaking. It hit him so suddenly he almost laughed. French. The blond was speaking French. Goku couldn't help but wonder if the man came from France, and cocked his head to the side, studying him further. Finally, Goku sighed. He wasn't going to get anywhere just wondering. He would only know for certain after the man awoke. Sighing, he sunk back into the couch, and before he knew it he had fallen asleep.

---

Seven hours later and Goku found himself on the floor with a glass of water and the painkillers Hakkai had given him. It was deep into the night, probably about eleven or twelve, and it sounded like the entire building had gone silent. The place was inhabited by a lot of middle-aged people and not so many children, so Goku assumed everyone retired early for a nice long day of work tomorrow. Goku rolled his eyes. Right. Work. He had to get back to that eventually as well.

Sighing, Goku's hands worked automatically as he popped two pills into the water, allowing it to dissolve before pulling the blond's head to him, moving the spoon to his lips. The reaction was almost immediate; a silent groan and a twist of the neck. The blond appeared to be having issues with the foul tasting liquid, and had been since the second dose, after he subconsciously learned how repulsive it was.

But Goku was too tired to have to deal with the man's childish behavior, and merely sighed, following his movements with the spoon on his lower lip. "Come on…" Goku whined softly. "You have to take it…"

The blond turned away from it again, an inadvertently pushed his face into Goku's hip. Goku could not stop the blush before it crept into his cheeks, as he shifted to move the man away. Goku was stunned as he began to mutter words out again.

"Seiten…" Goku frowned softly, leaning down to hear the blond better. Was Seiten a French word? Goku shook his head as the blond continued to speak. "…Maten… non…. Non… Homura… ne faites pas… Homura…s'il vous plait…. le nouveau monde…"

Goku could only blink as the blond's mumbling became little more then whispers barely passing his lips. Goku smiled softly, taking advantage of the blond's stillness, he shoved the spoon past his lips, allowing the liquid to down. The blond sputtered a bit, before allowing the liquid to go down, and falling into an even deeper state of unconsciousness. Goku frowned softly, brushing bangs from the man's eyes.

"Who are you…?" he asked softly.

Somehow, he didn't think the answers would be easy to obtain.

---

He'd been able to slip out to work on Monday. It was only a five hour shift and the last thing he needed was for Gojyo to get annoyed and start looking for him. So, he gave the blond a dosage of pain killers before slipping out towards the train station.

After four days of being crammed in the stuffy apartment, the fresh air was a beautiful release. He inhaled the fresh scent, which mixed in with the moisture, a promise of oncoming snowfall. Goku was more then happy to head down the stairs to his apartment, and start the short walk towards the train station.

The restaurant was strangely empty that morning as he changed into his work uniform, setting himself up and moving to grill some fish. Gojyo tossed the usual banter back at him, and Goku responded as he always would have. Gojyo only brought up the blond man once, and it was only to question his health. Goku had replied that things did not look any worse, but nor did they look any better. Goku could only wonder why the blond was sleeping so long. He only had a dislocated shoulder, some bruised ribs and a gunshot wound. Hakkai had informed him that the man would probably be awake within a day, and yet four long days had gone by and the blond did little more then stir and mutter some things in French every once in a while.

Goku tried to push the thoughts from his mind as he did his daily tasks; sweeping the kitchen floors, unloading the dishwasher, cleaning out the sinks and such. Christine, the young dishwasher had not come into work today, and so Goku took it upon himself to do the little tasks for her.

It was only about three o'clock when Goku got off work. It felt like such an unusual shift, he thought as he packed up his things and began heading for the door. Probably because he was used to working eight to ten hour shifts, so it seemed unnaturally short to him.

As he headed towards the train station, Goku decided that he should probably pick up some groceries. It was normally Nataku who did all the simple things like shopping, picking up after them, and such. It was mostly because Goku was often too absentminded to remember such things. And without him Goku had too keep reminding himself to do them. Turning on his heel, he headed into the nearby grocery store.

He picked up simple items, like hard pasta and Spaghetti-O's, before moving on to get things like milk or juice. After he'd collected mostly all the things he would need, he turned towards the cash. That was when his cell phone rang. Dumping the items on the counter, he flipped it open, and pressed it to his ear, "Hello?" he asked, watching as the woman behind the counter shot him a smile before running his items through.

"Hey Goku, it's Hakkai," came the voice from the other side of the line.

Goku grinned, "Hey Hakkai," he said, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. "What's up?"

"Not much," Hakkai replied kindly. "I was just wondering how our patient is doing."

"Good, actually," Goku replied. "Though he hasn't woken up yet. He hasn't gotten any worse though," Goku added as he watched the price of his items go up. He frowned.

"Really?" the surprise in his voice didn't go unnoticed by Goku. "That's strange. He should've woken up by now. Perhaps there was more internal trauma to his head. It's possibly he knocked himself into a coma-like state…" Hakkai's voice trailed off, muttering medical terms under his breath.

Goku rolled his eyes, paying the young woman. "You're losing me, Hakkai."

"Oh, sorry," Hakkai replied sheepishly. "I don't think it's anything serious. I checked his head area and it didn't seem to be damaged, so we should leave him. But if he doesn't wake up in another few days, call me, okay?"

"Okay, will do Hakkai, see ya," he added.

"Bye Goku," then the young man hung up. Goku pocketed the phone, grabbing his bags and heading towards the train station.

It was a quiet ride back to his apartment, and Goku noted that the snow was already beginning to fall, cloaking the world in a blanket of white. Goku frowned softly as he watched it fall, reminiscing on a time best left forgotten. It felt as though that without Nataku there, old memories continued to resurface, drowning him.

"_Go die!" _

"_Goku, honey, stand still. It'll only hurt for a minute." _

"_You're a fucking liability!" _

"_Do you know how much I hate you?!" _

Goku sighed softly, pressing his forehead to the cool glass already misting over with frost. _Go away… _he told the resurfacing voices of parents who were long since dead and never really cared anyway. After a moment, the voices and sounds all but faded from his mind, and he was able to open his eyes to the continual downfall of snow. He hated the snow. It brought nothing but disaster.

Finally, the train pulled into his station and he stood, getting off the vehicle and heading towards his apartment. He pulled his hood closer to him, attempting to keep the snow from his hair. That didn't stop the damn flakes from blowing into his eyes, cloaking his eyelashes. He almost ran the last block towards his apartment, only pulling the door down once he stepped inside the warm building, heading for the stairs.

He lived on the second floor, but it still felt like a long way up. He pulled out his key when he found his door, unlocking it and stepping inside, dumping his things on the table before pulling his jacket from his shoulders and throwing it over the back of his chair.

As he moved towards the living room, he froze. He could only stare, wide eyed at the bare spot where he left the injured blond man. Had he woken up? Had he left? Goku doubted that, as the jacket he'd pulled off the blond the first night still hung by the door, his shoes next to that. So, where was he? Cautiously, Goku stepped further into the living room. "Hello?" he called out softly. "Half-dead blond guy…?"

He hadn't even been able to let out a squeak of surprise when he was grabbed from behind, a tight leather strap tied around his neck, constricting his air ways. Goku attempted to call for help, but found he was unable to get anything past his lips but a startled gasp. Maybe he'd been wrong after all, and this guy was a crazed killer. Damnit, for once he wished he'd listened to Gojyo.

"Who are you?" a deep voice hissed in his ear, a voice that only hours ago had been muttering out French on his living room floor.

Goku attempted to speak, but found all he could do was gasp for air pathetically. The leather strap around his neck was loosened, and he gasped air in greedily, coughing. Managing to regain a bit of composure, he managed to squeak out, "G-Goku…" before coughing again.

The blond behind him tensed, but didn't release his hold completely. "Where am I?"

"In my living room…" Goku replied softly, the air coming in smoothly once again. "I... I found you next to the river, and I—"

"Who are you working for?" the blond snapped, tightening the collar ever-so-slightly.

"I work at a restaurant down town!" Goku replied, holding his hands up so the blond wouldn't think he was trying anything funny.

"Don't bullshit me," the blond sneered. "Quel est votre grade? Qui est votre commandant?"

"I don't speak French!" Goku cried out, growing all the more anxious with the question the blond was shooting out at him. "I swear I don't know anything!"

"Then turn on the lights and stop hiding!"

This caused Goku to frown softly, turning his attention to the nearby windows, where light was streaming in. The entire apartment was flooded with light, if he turned any more on it would have no effect. "They are on," he replied.

"Shut up, I'm not an idiot," the leather strap around his neck tightened, and Goku foresaw trouble.

"No, they are," Goku frowned, turning in his grip slightly to look up at violet pools which stared out into the living room, unfocused. They were darting back and forth, as though the blond were lost in thought. "Oh…" Goku whispered softly, eyes widened. "You're blind…"

"I'm not blind! You're a fucking liar!" the blond shot back with ferocity, though his grip on the leather strap loosened, allowing Goku to step away from him. The blond was leaning back against a nearby wall, blinking and waving his hands in front of his face. Eyes widening with sudden realization, the blond entwined his fingers in his hair, sinking towards the floor. "This is what he wanted… Fuck…"

Goku pulled the leather belt from his neck, allowing it to fall to the floor as he watched the blond in front of him. A pang of sympathy went out to the man. It must've been hard to wake up in a strange apartment and realize you were blind. Goku fell to his knees in front of the man, reaching a hand out. "If there's anything I can do…"

"Don't touch me!" the man shouted, slapping his hand away. A flicker of hurt went through Goku's eyes as he watched the man in front of him heave for air, entwining his fingers back through his hair. "Fuck this is bad…"

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the motor of the refrigerator. The blond was lost in thought, and Goku could plainly see the blood seeping out of his calf at the movement earlier. He must've reopened the gunshot wound. Goku wisely kept his mouth shut. After a moment, the blond sighed. "Do you have a washroom?"

"Why?"

"I think I'm going to be sick," he replied.

Goku nodded, "It's just down the hall there," he said, pointing in the direction. The blond shot him a stare with unfocusing violet eyes. If that gaze could have fixed on him, Goku was sure it would have been intimidating. Mentally smacking himself upside the head, he reached a hand out. "Sorry. Let me help—"

"I don't need help," the blond replied sourly, using the wall to pull himself to his feet. Goku could only think that this strange man looked lost and confused, like a cornered animal. He watched with a saddened look as the blond began to inch himself along the wall. "I can find it myself. I just need too—see? I just found it."

"That's the linen closet," Goku replied, attempting to hold back a smirk.

The blond attempted to shoot him another cold stare, but it was lost as his gaze was off directed towards the TV. "I can find it on my own."

"Never said you couldn't," Goku replied back sarcastically, watching as he stumbled into the washroom. Goku waited several minutes, allowing the silence to wash over the apartment before finally standing with a sigh. Slowly, he headed over towards the washroom, peeking his head in. He found the blond seated on the floor, staring at the wall with unseeing eyes.

Goku felt another pang of sympathy go out towards the man, and wished that there was something he could do. "Do you need anything?"

The blond turned his head away from him. "Just leave me alone," he snapped coldly.

Goku frowned softly. "Holler if you need anything," he whispered.

The blond just scoffed. Goku pretended to walk away, light footsteps on the carpet. He watched the blond pull his knees to his chest, assuming he was alone. He pressed his face into his arms and released a shuddering sigh. "Où vais-je d'ici?" he whispered.

Goku pressed his lips together, silently turning towards the kitchen and allowing the man his peace.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey! There's plot in this thing now! (pokes story) So yes, Sanzo's blind, and Goku has a harsh past. What shall become of this simple little story? Who knows.

Also, I understand that I updated quickly, but that's only because I like you guys so much. If the reviews are nice, helpful and quick, updates will be the same. Thank you for reading. C&C appreciated, as always.


	4. Chapter Four

**Blind Devotion**

**Chapter Four**

"Got any family?"

"Piss off."

"Friends?"

"None of your fucking business."

"A home? A roommate?'

"Fuck off."

"_Anyone_ who's going to miss you?"

"Do you understand what 'fuck off' means?"

Goku could only sigh loudly in exasperation, placing his head in his hands and staring at the blond who had taken up residence on his couch. He had been able to find out the blond's name, but that was about all the information he got out of him. Immediately after he seemed to accept his blindness, he had demanded to know where his jacket had gone to. Goku had been surprised by the demand, but allowed the man to do as he pleased. As soon as the material came in contact with his hands, the blond had grabbed a cylinder wrapped in paper, and stuck it in his back pocket.

"What's that?" Goku had asked him, only to receive a growl and a sharp, unfocused glare in his general direction.

"Fuck off if you know what's good for you," the blond snarled.

Since then the blond—Sanzo, Goku corrected himself—had not let the strange cylinder out of his hands. It made Goku curious, but he didn't dare try to snatch it from the man, Sanzo didn't trust him as it was.

"I'm hungry," Sanzo complained standing and making his way over to the table. He was clothed in a little more then a cotton t-shirt and jeans, which accented his thin figure. Goku let his eyes stray over his torso for a little longer then necessary, telling himself he was only checking to see if his bruised ribs still bothered him.

Goku could only raise a skeptical brow, finally turning his focus to the man's face. His hair was tussled that morning, and Goku had decided he liked it that way. "What, no 'I don't need help from anyone' crap?" he asked sarcastically. He was done playing nice. After three days crammed into the house with the irritating blond, he'd had enough. Sarcasm seemed to be his only way of fighting back, as he had found out previously that the man outranked him physically.

Sanzo growled at him, turning towards the direction of the kitchen, his hands held out wildly in case he ran into something. "Fine, I'll do it myself."

Goku sighed. The man was going to burn off his hand or blow something up at this rate. "Sit down, I'll do it," he snapped, rising to his feet and making his way over to the fridge, giving the man a soft shove into a nearby chair. "What do you want?"

Sanzo fell into a nearby chair a little ungracefully, frowning but deciding not to say anything on the matter. "I don't know," the blond mumbled, his brows drawing together in thought. "Anything? Everything?" There was a note of desperation in his voice; one Goku was all too familiar with.

Shooting him a stare over his shoulder, Goku said, "You sound like you haven't eaten in a while." It couldn't have been long enough for the effects to make their way into Sanzo's frame, but he recognized the sound of a man who had not eaten in a few days. Being passed out would have had an affect, but the way he was poised, the look on his face, told tales of a man who was used to hunger.

All Sanzo did was scoff, turning his head away. Clearly the man did not want to admit feeling anything—hunger, exhaustion, helplessness. It had taken Goku several hours to put the man to sleep the other night, as he seemed intent on staying up, thank you very much. Goku had yet to convince the captivating blond that asking for help was not admitting weakness. And his stubbornness was driving Goku up a wall.

Goku rolled his eyes, turning back to the fridge. "I'm not in the mood to make you a five course meal. I'll just make you a sandwich or two," he muttered, mostly to himself. He doubted Sanzo would reply anyway.

He was surprised when Sanzo spoke up. "A sandwich?" he questioned. Goku didn't miss the hopeful note Sanzo tried so hard to hide. It was the sound of a starved man who had been offered nothing more then a bowl of soup, and seemed incredibly grateful for it. It only made Goku wonder more and more of where this man came from.

"Yes, a sandwich," Goku bit back sarcastically, unable to feel sympathy for the man seated behind him. "You know, two pieces of bread, with stuff in the middle?"

"I know what it is, idiot," Sanzo snapped back, losing the hopeful tone almost instantly and looking away as if he could actually see Goku standing in the kitchen, making a sandwich for him. Goku could detect a twinge of embarrassment, and a soft blush on the man's pale cheeks that if he had blinked, he would've missed. Goku couldn't help but smile. It was kind of cute.

He placed the plate on the table, ignoring Sanzo as he groped blindly for it. The phone rang and Goku sprang for it, happy for any sort of human contact that wouldn't snap back at him. "Hello?" he asked happily, leaning against the wall and smiling softly as he watched Sanzo all but devour the sandwiches.

"Hey Goku, it's Hakkai," the voice on the other line said, polite as always. He could already picture the man's face in his mind, smiling away. "Gojyo's been worried about you. You didn't come into work today."

Goku resisted the urge to smack himself upside the head. Work! "Sorry Hakkai," Goku apologized, his eyes straying over towards the clock, before lingering back towards the table. "I got a little… distracted."

"Oh?" Hakkai's voice seemed interested now. Never a good sign. Gojyo had always warned him about Hakkai's telling signs, like when he was angry, or upset, and Goku had seen them demonstrated more then once. That tone of amusement usually called for disaster. "Is it our patient?"

Goku frowned, watching Sanzo finish off the second sandwich, scouting for more. "Yeah…" he muttered, forcing himself to focus on the conversation as the unoccupied part of his mind toyed with the idea of making something more for the blond. "He's awake now, and…. He's blind."

There was a pause at the other end of the phone, allowing Sanzo to perk up. The man immediately recognized who they were talking about. "Who are you talking to?" he snapped, not bothering to move up from the chair, but still sending a noticeable frown in Goku's direction.

Rolling his eyes at Sanzo's paranoia, he covered the receiver with his hand. "A friend," Goku replied.

Sanzo snarled, opening his mouth to say something more when Hakkai spoke. Goku ignored the blond as he focused on the phone. "But… I checked his eyes. There was nothing wrong with them."

Goku's brows drew together in a frown. "What do you mean?"

"They were functioning normally when I checked them…. This is odd," Hakkai paused again, and Goku continued to drown out Sanzo's snarls. It was exceedingly difficult when Hakkai wasn't talking. "I'll come over later today, all right? I want to check him again."

"All right," Goku said, watching wearily as Sanzo attempted to make his way over to the living room again, grumbling things under his breath. A voice in the back of his mind told him he was going to trip. "I'll talk to you later, Hakkai." He didn't even wait to hear the man's response as he hung up the phone, crossing the room to watch as Sanzo managed to fall safely on the couch.

"Who was that?" Sanzo snapped again. "And don't try to bullshit me."

Goku frowned. "Hakkai. He's a friend, he helped patch you up."

Sanzo's scowl only deepened. "Don't tell people about me," he said coldly.

Goku could only cock a brow at this. "Why? You hiding from someone?" he asked. Sanzo said nothing, simply deepened his scowl and turned away. Curiosity began to eat away at him, and Goku edged closer. He wanted to know about this strange man who had washed up on his shore and didn't seem to want to go home, if he even had one. "Oh! Is it about that package you keep packing around?" he asked brightly, a small smile catching his full lips as he felt himself growing closer to his answers.

Sanzo snarled, eyes darkening as he jumped to his feet so fast Goku took a step back in surprise. The blond could have only been a few inches taller then him, and even as he glared with those unseeing violet eyes, he was very intimidating. His fists clenched at his sides, and Goku was suddenly afraid the man would hit him. "Stop asking questions!" he snapped loudly, causing Goku to flinch. The sound echoed through the small apartment, making the man sound louder then he did. "Just back off and mind your own fucking business!"

Goku's surprise turned to anger so quickly it shocked him. To hell with this. He was tired of having the blond yell at him only because he fished his goddamn body out from the river. Fisting his hands by his side, he used his toes to gain leverage, attempting to glare the man in the eye, even if he couldn't see him. He could feel Sanzo's angry breath against his nose, and he flared his nostrils in anger. "No you shut up!" he yelled, surprising himself with the volume of his voice. "All I've tried to do is help, and in exchange I wanted to know a little about who you are! Is that such a bad thing!?"

"Yes!" Sanzo yelled so suddenly it caused Goku to fall back up on his heels with a soft _thump_. "Don't get involved with me!" He then turned, and stalked off down the hall as if he lived in the apartment his entire life. Though Goku heard him stumble over something, cursing before disappearing inside Nataku's room. The room Goku allowed Sanzo to use for the time being.

Goku could only blink slowly, his anger suddenly melted away, wondering what in gods name the blond meant by that.

---

"And… move your eyes in the opposite direction."

Goku could only watch from the sidelines with Gojyo, as Hakkai inspected Sanzo's eyes. They had arrived only a few minutes ago, and Goku had expected Sanzo to refuse the treatment, and stay locked up in Nataku's room. But, he had been surprised when the young man had said nothing, sat down in the chair and did exactly what Hakkai asked him to. No sarcastic replies had made their appearance yet.

It was slightly unnerving.

Goku watched Sanzo's hand fist in his jeans, lips pressed so tightly together they became pale with lack of blood. Clearly, the man was uncomfortable with the situation, but he wasn't saying anything. That in itself was odd. Sanzo hadn't seemed like the type who would sit through something he didn't much like without muttering a curse or two.

"There is it," Hakkai sighed finally, standing back up and flipping the small light off. "It's small, which is probably why I missed it in the first place, but his retinas have been burnt."

"Burnt?" it was Gojyo who spoke up first, glancing between the three other men in the room. "How the hell does that happen?"

"It happens when a very powerful light shines in the person's eyes," Hakkai answered calmly, turning back to Sanzo, who appeared to be listening intently. "Where on earth did you come in contact with such a bright light underwater?" his voice was suspicious, and he hadn't even bothered with the cheerful smile as he regarded the man in the chair closely.

Sanzo said nothing for a moment, the silence in the room dragging on an amazingly long time, before finally muttering, "I don't remember," begrudgingly.

"Well, I hope you do," Hakkai replied, not believing the blond in the least but not having anything to prove him wrong. "Because it would help me a great deal if you could shed some light on the situation." Goku bit his lip as Sanzo flinched.

"Is he gonna get his sight back?" Goku found himself asking, rubbing his arm behind his back. He didn't know why he cared, but for some reason the blond's well being was all he could think about.

Hakkai seemed to hesitate. "I'm not sure. I won't be able to tell until the retinas have had a little time. It might only be a few weeks before they heal completely, and he'll be able to see. If not, they might only be able to heal a little, and his sight with come back, albeit fuzzy and possibly in black and white. And… if they don't heal at all…" Hakkai paused, though Goku doubted it was for dramatic effect. "He'll be blind permanently."

Goku breath caught at the words, but otherwise he gave no other indication of hearing. His eyes flickered over to Sanzo; the man appeared not to be affected by the news, but Goku could see the tension straining in his hand, practically shaking with pressure where it gripped the fabric of his jeans.

Several more words were passed between each other, but mostly it was just small talk as Goku led them to the door. He said his goodbyes and promises to be at work before slowly closing the door behind them. From the entryway he could see Sanzo still seated in the chair, fists shaking where they clenched his jeans. Goku waited a moment, watching as the blond slowly stumbled to his feet, feeling around for the wall. He looked so lost, like a child who had been separated from its mother. Goku almost wished he would yell—scream out in frustration, because it was better then this suffocating silence that had descended upon them.

Goku covered his mouth with his hand as he watched Sanzo pathetically make his way along the wall towards the bedrooms. After finding Nataku's room, he slid inside and shut the door. Goku expected to hear Sanzo scream and hit something, and when nothing but silence ensued, Goku threaded his fingers in his unruly brown hair and sunk to the floor. He didn't know why the news that Sanzo might be permanently blind would upset him so much, but it did.

He just wished there was something he could say.

---

It was thirst that drove him from sleep as he sat, lying awake, staring at the ceiling of him room. Moonlight shadowed the entire room, making things and images hard to make out. Goku lay motionless for several minutes, simply listening to the sounds of the silent apartment. He could hear the clicking of his alarm clock next to him, and the sounds of downtown traffic out his window, otherwise the world seemed to have fallen into slumber. Idly, he wondered if Sanzo was up. The blond didn't seem so intent on sleeping.

Slowly, Goku pulled himself from the inviting embrace of the blankets and placed his feet to the cold wooden ground. He flinched at the coolness there, but soon became accustomed and stood, making his way over towards the door and out into the hall. The hallway was colder then his room and he shivered. Normally Goku wore little more then a t-shirt and his boxers, and he could feel the cold air making his way up his legs, causing Goosebumps to make their way along his skin.

Pushing the cold from his mind, he continued towards the kitchen. He didn't bother with the lights, deciding to use the small amount of light given by the moon and the street lights. He and Nataku had lived in the apartment for over a year and a half already, and he knew the place like the back of his hand. He moved down the hallway, tripping over a leftover book that was most likely the cause of Sanzo's stumbling earlier that day. Cursing, but leaving it behind, he continued towards the kitchen.

He'd been having those dreams again lately. The ones that shook him from sleep and made him unable to even think because the thoughts were so destructive. Even when Nataku was around, these dreams plagued him. It was mostly in winter, Goku thought with an inward snarl, turning his attention to the nearby window. Snow was falling silently, blanketing the world in a sea of white. An endless, white world. He hated that world. He hated the snow. Hell, he hated winter in general.

He realized long ago that sleep would not be an easy thing to obtain during winter. Every night it seemed he was plagued with the same endless nightmare, and he always seemed to awaken before it ended, covered in sweat and trembling at the images he'd seen. But at least when Nataku was around he had someone to sit and talk with, or even play board games with until the nights would pass. Winters were always long and tiresome for the both of them, but every year they seemed to make it through.

Goku stepped up towards the counter, pulling a glass and placing it in the sink. He allowed the cold water to run for a moment, before filling up his glass. He savored in the taste of the cold water, and nearly drank it all down at once. It felt sweet against his parched throat. After finishing the glass, he simply fingered it, reminiscing once again. Mostly about Nataku, and how they had come to obtain the apartment. It had been one of the happiest days of his life. It felt like so long ago now. Gods, he missed his friend.

The sudden scream that tore through the small apartment caused him to drop the glass, shattering along the tile. He stiffened against the counter, before realizing the scream was coming from Nataku's room—Sanzo. Without any concern for his own safety, he bolted across the floor, hissing as shards of glass bit into his feet, undoubtedly drawing blood. He forced himself to block the pain from his mind as he hurried down the hall, and ripped open the door, surprised to find no one else in the room. Sanzo was on the bed, tangled in sheets so tightly it looked painful. Blond hair clung to his temples and cheeks with sweat, and even from the distance he could see the beads of sweat making their way down his slender neck. His eyes were screwed shut, and he was screaming and yelling at some phantom in his nightmare. He mentally kicked himself for staring, and sprung forth to make sure the blond didn't accidentally hurt himself.

Goku raced into the room, grabbing hold of the man's shoulders as he continued to writhe violently. "Sanzo!" he cried, his voice hoarse. He pushed his weight onto the man, but Sanzo's struggling only seemed to increase with his weight. "Sanzo, wake up!"

Sanzo's screaming abruptly stopped, but his thrashing did not. In horror, Goku watched as his lips began turning blue. Gods! What was happening!? He shook his shoulders harder, hoping to raise the man. He wondered if Nataku had felt as he did on some nights, when he was forced to pull the brunet from nightmares which left him screaming. "Sanzo! Wake up!" he was growing desperate as Sanzo's thrashing slowed, and he continued to soundlessly gasp for breath. His face was draining of color, save for his lips which almost seemed a royal blue color now. Did he swallow something? Why the hell was he choking? Desperate, Goku slapped his hand right across Sanzo's face.

Sanzo's unfocusing eyes snapped open almost immediately, and he bolted upright, coughing and gasping for air. There was several minutes when Sanzo could only cough, attempting to fill his lungs again with precious air. He finally regained some of his composure, and simply sat, heaving for air.

"What the hell happened?" Goku demanded finally, the shock of what had just played out finally wearing off. His voice sounded muffled against the stiff air.

Sanzo said nothing for a moment, placing his hands over his face, before he finally muttered, "Get out."

"Hell no I'm not!" Goku snapped, again a bit to loud as he moved to sit in front of him. "I'm not going to leave you alone with this, Sanzo." He tried to sound sincere. He wanted to show the man that he really did want to help. His eyes were wide the shallow light, attempting to soak up every feature of the beautiful man who had somehow wound up in his apartment. He had a strong desire to wipe blond tresses from his eyes, but resisted.

He pulled Sanzo's hands away from his face, and was surprised by what he saw. Two hand-shaped bruises sat around the blond's neck, as though someone had previously been trying to strangle him. Those had definitely not been there before. His breath hitched slightly as he turned to look up towards Sanzo's face, which was masked. He wished, more then anything that the moonlight would shatter the man's mask, and he could finally understand what he'd landed himself into. "Sanzo…" he breathed delicately. "What's going on…?"

Sanzo said nothing.

Needless to say, neither one got anymore sleep that night.

* * *

**A/N: **I am so proud of this chapter! I went back and edited stuff about six or seven different times, and I'm happy with the result. I hope everyone else is too. I simply could not wait any longer to update this. It was killer to wait, so I decided to update it two days before planned. xD

Oh, and since a lot of people asked, I'm placing up the French translations. Since there's none in this chapter, I'll just put up the ones for the last one.

/La pluie niore./ 'The black rain.'

/Non/ 'No' (pretty obvious for anyone who's taken Fench)

/Ne Faites pas/ 'Don't.'

/S'il vous plait/ 'Please'

/Le nouveau monde/ 'The new world'

/Quel est votre grade?/ 'What is your rank?

/Qui est votre commandant?/ 'Who is your commander?'

/Ou vais-je d'ici?/ 'What am I going to do?'

Confused? Now you know why I left it in French.

C&C appreciated.


	5. Chapter Five

**Blind Devotion **

**Chapter Five**

The door to the large overwhelming office opened, and Homura stepped inside. The entire office itself was lined in fine oak, and the walls were painted beige, making it seem innocent. Homura often wondered, as he let his eyes sweep to the sides, how many people had been issued their death order standing right where he was. Despite the fact that the windows were open, and the evening light was shining inside, lighting the entire office, it still felt dark, and ominous. Homura crossed the sturdy hardwood floors, his boots clacking on the wood as he approached the desk. Some days he found himself wondering when his own death would be issued within these walls, he certainly wasn't going to die any other way. Not after everything he lived through.

What they all lived through.

He stopped, and bowed, despite the man in the desk was not looking up at him.

"Bonsoir, Monsieur. Homura, capitaine du Deuxième Bataillon, au rapport." Homura kept his head bowed, until the man behind the desk bothered to look up.

"Evening Captain," the man replied in calm English, turning back to the documents in hand. "I hope you bring me good news."

Homura lifted his head up, regarding the sharp-featured man before him with nothing but respect. It had taken years for him to learn to respect the man, but he had won all of their respect, devotion, and loyalty. All save for one. "News, I wouldn't call it good." His anxiety built as the man shot him a blank stare. That could mean anything. He was quick to elaborate. "Sanzo is dead."

"You've found his body?" the man asked, turning his gaze away from the dark haired man. His tone still sounded bored, as though he didn't believe Homura in the least.

Homura looked anxious, and strained to keep it from his face. He had seen men killed for showing the briefest signs of hesitation. There was no room for failure within their group. "Not exactly, sir," the man shot him a dark look again and Homura clarified quickly, "I have the entire Unit scouring the river. We've searched over a mile downstream, and the surrounding hospitals. He has not been emitted, and we've not been able to dig up his body, though, even alive, I know he couldn't have gotten far."

"What makes you say that?" The man's tone sounded intrigued, but his head was still down. For some reason Homura felt as though he was still watching him intently.

"Because he's blind."

At this, the man looked up at him, a small smile lighting his features. "Well done Homura," the man said approvingly, placing the documents aside and regarding the young man before him. "At least this way we know he's still within the city. I want you to find him as soon as possible. Leave no stone unturned."

Homura smiled. "Yes sir."

The man rose to his feet, glancing out of the large window behind him. His lean frame didn't make him look very dangerous at all, but no one who knew him was dumb enough to cross this man. Brown tresses fell across his forehead in an unkempt manner, and his forest green eyes never wavered in their intensity. "Tell me," he drawled, refusing to dismiss the young captin. "How is ARIYA doing?"

Startled by the sudden question, Homura frowned. "He is fine, sir. I checked in with the crew this morning. Though the holding crew does not think we can hold ARIYA for much longer. They say the body will wither away within two months max."

The man turned to him, smiling. "That's what I like about you, Homura, always on top of things." The man's tone was hard to read, and so Homura simply shot him a smile at the praise. Though he got the inkling feeling that the man was not praising him. The brunet stepped out from behind his desk, his footsteps echoing in the small room. He headed no where in particular, looking over paintings or checking for nicks in the walls, but Homura kept his eyes trained on him all the same. "It's of no matter, really," he said suddenly. "Sanzo will be within our grasp by the end of the month. I can feel it." He paused, "Knowing your skills, Homura, I expect him to be in by the end of the week."

"Yes sir," Homura replied, frowning softly at the load of work that had just been dumped upon his shoulders.

"Dismissed Captain," the man said, waving his hand. Homura turned towards the door, his footsteps clacking as his long jacket swept out over the floor like a cape. He was more then happy to get out of there. The office was some days soothing, and others ominous. He hated it for changing on him so rapidly. "Oh, and Homura," Homura turned, and waited as the man smiled coyly at him. "Aucun échec ne sera toléré."

Homura stayed silent for a moment, studying the figure of the strange man in front of him. After a moment, he nodded. "C'est comprit, Monsieur." Then he turned, and swiftly left the office.

**---**

"I'm heading out to work now!" Goku turned back in time to see Sanzo's response; a snarl and a flip of the bird as he headed towards the door. It felt like the previous night never happened. Like that strange, moonlit nightmare never took place. The only proof that the events had not been of some crazy dream were the bruises around Sanzo's neck. They clung to his skin, like a disease, standing out amongst Sanzo's pale complexion. It unnerved Goku, seeing as he could find no explanation for them.

Goku had tried to get answers out of the blond, but Sanzo refused to budge. He simply would not say what had happened, or what had been the cause of those bruises. Goku wondered if the man was haunted by a poltergeist. But that wouldn't make sense. He refused to believe that Sanzo was being haunted by some crazed spirit.

He was about to head towards the door when the phone rang. Rolling his eyes, he turned towards it. Everything seemed to be slowing him down today. At this rate he would never get out the front door. "Hello?" he asked, watching Sanzo's features sharpen into a growl from his spot on the couch.

"Miss me yet?" cooed the all too familiar voice at the other line.

Goku's face brightened instantly. "Nataku?" he cried, before bursting out into giggles. "Hey, how are things? Are you having fun? You can come home if you're not having fun. Those Europeans better be treating you well or I'll punch all their smug faces in."

Nataku laughed from the other side of the phone. "I'm fine Goku, really. I'm in London now, it's actually quite nice."

"Is it?" came Goku's blunt tone, resisting the urge to grin until his face cracked.

"It's really dirty," Nataku replied, and the boys laughed.

Goku ran his free hand through his hair, laughing softly. Simply the relief of talking to his best friend felt like a weight off his shoulders. "Man, it's really good to hear your voice, Nataku."

"I would hope so," came the reply from the other end of the phone. There was a pause, and Goku simply allowed himself to relax knowing that his friend was finally all right.

After a moment, Nataku sighed and spoke again, "Are you okay? I hear it's snowing."

Goku let himself rest against the wall, eyes directed out of the nearby window. Seriousness always had to poke at him whenever he was trying to relax. "I will be," he muttered softly, before allowing his strained eyes to close. He hadn't slept much later night. After the nightmare episode, the two men had simply sat, and waited until morning broke. Nothing more was said on the matter. "I've been having the dream again, but I have a new roommate, he's been keeping me distracted."

"High maintenance?" snickered Nataku's voice from the other side of the line.

Goku chuckled dryly. "Very high maintenance," he said softly, before opening his eyes.

There was another pause. "I've got to go," Nataku said, causing a frown to blossom on Goku's face. "I know you probably have work, and I'm probably wasting a fortune on this long distance stuff."

"Do you have to go?" Goku winced, hating the sound of his own voice. It sounded so needy, so pathetic. He could only imagine his friend cringing in a similar manner, probably from guilt.

"Yeah, I'm going on a tour of London today, I'm going to see the big clock tower." Silence as they both delayed the inevitable. "I'll talk to you soon," Nataku muttered, with slight reluctance.

"Okay, see you later," he said, before hanging up the phone and resting his head against the wall. He knew he probably had to get to work, but at the moment he could do little more then stand there awkwardly. Finally, he managed to stand, heading over to collect his things again.

"Was that your girlfriend?" Sanzo asked blandly from his spot on the couch.

Goku frowned, turning back to study the scrawny man set out over the sofa. His arms were laid lazily over his chest, and his legs, which were clad in faded jeans, were crossed casually as his unfocusing stare was directed up towards the ceiling. A look of boredom crossed his features. He was like a four year old, Goku decided. Always bored, unable to do anything for himself but wanting to do it all the same. He was like a big four year old with a much more colorful vocabulary and unable to be distracted by simple TV. Goku couldn't help but smile at the thought that it was cute all the same.

"Why?" he asked, purposely dragging on the vowels as a mocking smirk took over his lips. "You jealous?"

The blond scoffed. "As if," he muttered, brows drawn together in irritation. After a moment, he said, "And stop smirking at me like that."

Caught off guard, Goku's smile faltered. "How the hell did you know?"

"I can hear it in your tone, dipshit," Sanzo snapped, not tearing his eyes away from the ceiling. "Don't you have work?" he added as an after thought.

Rolling his eyes, Goku grabbed his bag and headed for the door. "Don't blow yourself up while I'm gone," he called out sarcastically. He could imagine the man attempting to glare at him through unfocused eyes as he left. He headed out the front door, hurrying down the stairs before turning out into the brisk winter cold. He frowned. It was days like this when he wished he had a car. Maybe that's what he should spend all that excess money on. That or a muzzle for Sanzo. At the image of the blond man yelling angrily through a muzzle, Goku could not help but laugh.

After he arrived at the restaurant, he was not surprised to find Gojyo standing outside, in yet another fight with his older brother, Dokugakuji. He frowned softly. For as long as Goku had known the man, it seemed like he'd never gotten along with his family. His brother tried, and Goku couldn't blame him for that. But he could also see where Gojyo was coming from. Kicked out of the house at sixteen with no where to go; Goku didn't blame him for being angry.

Stepping up next to Gojyo's side, he wasn't surprised when the yelling stopped. Gojyo hated yelling around him, and Dokugakuji never liked embarrassing himself when it wasn't necessary. "Come on Gojyo," Goku said quietly, resting a hand on his arm to show his support. "We have work."

Gojyo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah," he muttered, turning towards the restaurant. "I'll see you later, Doku."

The man pursed his lips, but said nothing more as he turned, and walked briskly away. Goku and Gojyo then turned, heading inside and quickly making their way through the mess of waiters and costumers, back into the kitchens. As soon as they stepped out of the public eye, Gojyo suppressed a scream, throwing his bag to the ground. "Can you believe that asshole?" he bellowed. Only a few faces looked up, those who knew Gojyo merely continued on with their task, all too familiar with his outbursts.

"Calm down, Gojyo," Goku soothed, attempting to help his enraged friend. "You're not going to get anywhere by screaming in the kitchen. The customers might think you chopped your finger off and leave."

Gojyo couldn't help but chuckle softly, though it was anything but genuine, running his over his exhaused eyes. "Yeah… sorry."

"It's all right," Goku said, bending down to pick up his bag and holding it out to him. Gojyo accepted it and turned towards the change room, Goku following suit.

"He wants me to see her again," Gojyo muttered. Gojyo never really liked to share his thoughts, but he was more then responding then Sanzo was. He often let it slip out a little, and then allowed Goku to take over and pry it out of him. It was a routine they'd picked up over the years.

"Your mother?" Goku asked, surprise lacing his tone as he turned to look up at the man next to him. Gojyo's expression was set in a hard line, and his eyes were clouded. "Why does he want you to see your mother?"

"I don't know," Gojyo admitted, throwing the bag to the ground and rummaging for his uniform. "The woman hates me; I don't see why I have to go force small talk. Sometimes I wish I didn't have any family."

Immediately after the words slipped from his mouth, Goku cringed, turning his head away. Gojyo seemed to have caught himself, as he turned towards his younger friend. A moment of silence passed, in which an unspoken conversation passed between them. After a moment, Gojyo hung his head. "…Sorry."

Goku forced a smile. "It's all right Gojyo, you just weren't—"

"I mean it," the finality in his voice caused Goku to pause, turning his gaze back over to meet Gojyo's crimson one. "I'm sorry."

Goku simply stared for a moment, before offering a small smile. "Okay," he whispered.

Nothing more was said on the matter.

---

Goku had been in a bit of a hurry when he got off work. He'd had worked a few hours longer than planned, and he needed to get back to Sanzo. The man was probably hungry. And bored. And therefore all the more irritable. He'd stuffed nearly everything in his bag all at once, hurrying outside. He said his goodbyes to everyone in the kitchen, but he seriously needed to get home. It was going to snow soon and Goku did not want to be caught out in it.

He hurried outside, bumping into a man as he went. His bag fell on the ground, and his contents spilled out all along the sidewalk. He cursed; bending down to pick them up as he continued to apologize to the man he'd bumped into.

The man chuckled, bending down to help him out. "It's fine," he said, as Goku continued to apologize. "It was my fault for standing in the middle of the sidewalk anyway." Goku looked up, catching sight of two mismatched eyes that seemed to peer into his soul. Smiling politely, Goku accepted the CD's the man was holding out to him, placing them back in his bag as he stood.

"Thanks," he said, before grinning. "My name's Goku."

"Homura," the man replied, holding his hand out. Goku took it, and they shook hands before Homura smiled slightly. "Are you from around here, Goku?" he asked.

The boy blinked at the unusual question. "Yeah, I am," he said simply.

The man smiled, placing his hands in his pockets. Homura seemed completely confident in himself, and his charisma radiated off him in waves. Goku couldn't help but find that admirable about him. "Then maybe you can help me. I'm looking for a friend. Blond hair, violet eyes, really scrawny looking fellow," Goku's eyes widened a fraction at Sanzo's description, but he didn't dare say anything yet. "He took a tumble off the bridge about a week ago and we haven't been able to track him down. Sound familiar?"

"…Rings a stupid little bell," Goku said, leaning back on his weight. He wasn't sure why he told Homura that, but for some reason he wanted to keep this man close. "What's his name?"

"He goes by a lot of names," Homura replied. "Sometimes he's Sanzo, the next day he's Konzen and then he's Kouryuu." He paused, smiling. "Maybe you can help me look."

"Sure," Goku said with a bright smile. He hated lying, but sometimes it was all he could do. He wanted to talk to Sanzo before he decided to give away his location. "I'll see you around?" he asked, turning to head back towards the train station.

Homura winked. "For sure."

The dark haired man watched the brunet go, unable to stop the small smirk that crept onto his lips. He knew he was supposed to be looking for Sanzo, but he couldn't help but stop and talk to the young brunet. He was cute, and Homura now had another pair of eyes watching out for him, so why not?

He turned to go when something in the snow caught his eyes. Bending down, he picked it up, frowning softly then looking up to where Goku had walked off. The boy was no where in sight. Homura frowned deeper. "He forgot his wallet…" he muttered.

* * *

**A/N:** A simplier chapter, but I'm building up on everything. I really wanted to bring Homura into play more now, and I'm glad I did. Now I get to have him meddle around a little.

Translaltions: (As they appear)

"Good evening sir. Reporting in, Homura captin of the Second Battalion."

"Failure will not be tollerated."

"I understand, Sir."

C&C appreciated!


	6. Chapter Six

**Blind Devotion**

**Chapter Six**

"Merde! Merde! Merde!"

Goku watched the blond pace the living room anxiously, throwing his hands up in the air and shouting things in French. He had been doing this for at least five minutes, ever since he told the man about Homura. It seemed Sanzo didn't exactly like Homura, but that was putting it lightly. The blond snarled, his violet eyes snapping back and forth as his thoughts dashed about in his head, hoping—searching—for any way out of the mess they'd landed in.

"Comment as-tu pu être aussi stupide? Bon Dieu, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas chez toi? À ce rythme-là, tu vas finir par me faire mourrir!" Sanzo screamed at him, pacing the length of the room while running his fingers through his blond hair. Goku frowned from his place on the couch. Really, he didn't know what the big deal was. Homura didn't seem like that horrible a guy.

"You know it doesn't actually work if you scream at me in a language I don't understand," Goku mumbled, watching the man with a soft frown.

"You idiot!" Sanzo screamed again, sighing and falling into a nearby armchair. Groaning, he muttered, "What else did you tell him?"

Goku frowned, watching the form of the blond, wondering what could possibly be so upsetting. His hair was cast along his forehead, still wet from when he took a shower. His t-shirt clung to him a little too tightly, and Goku wondered if he should pick the man up some extra clothes. He didn't appear to want to leave anytime soon, though Goku had to wonder if it was simply because of his blindness or something else. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Goku tried to focus back on the question. "I didn't tell him anything. I didn't even tell him I knew you."

Sanzo seemed to contemplate this answer, before finally sighing. "Good, I guess," he muttered, allowing his eyes to slide closed. His form seemed to relax against the armchair, and for a second, Goku wondered if he'd fallen asleep.

Then the doorbell rang.

"Don't answer that!" Sanzo snapped, his eyes snapping open immediately and his body growing rigid as Goku stood from the couch, heading towards the door.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Goku said, crossing the room and opening the door, surprised to find Homura standing on his doorstep. Blinking, he let out a startled greeting as Homura removed his sunglasses, shooting the young man a confident smirk and a wink.

"Hello Goku," the man's voice sounded so smooth, and so charismatic. Goku couldn't help but smile slightly as the man reached into his pocket, holding out a simple leather wallet Goku recognized immediately. "I thought I'd bring you this."

"My wallet!"

"You dropped this after we parted ways, and I figured you needed it. Do you have company over?" he asked suddenly, leaning forwards as though attempting to see further into his house. Goku was suddenly glad that they couldn't see the living room from the entryway.

"No, no, just me," Goku assured, placing and arm in front of the man to make sure he didn't decide to step inside. Homura seemed the type who would do what he wanted, despite what anyone else said. He didn't need Homura and Sanzo to get into a fight in his living room, because Goku highly doubted the blond would take kindly to Homura's appearance.

Homura's eyes settled back on the boy, and he smiled. "All right then," he said, before turning and heading down the hall. "I shall see you soon, Goku." Then he turned, and descended the stairs, allowing Goku to let out a breath of relief. Slowly, he closed the door, looking at the wallet in his hand before dumping it on the table. He should've told Homura that he had his brother or a friend over—or something. Because he suddenly realized the man could probably hear them yelling. Damn, this was going to cost him.

Turning back into the living room, he found Sanzo seated crossly on the couch, arms folded over his chest and glaring at probably what he thought was Goku. In truth he was staring at a lamp next to him. "I heard that," he hissed.

Goku rolled his eyes. "So what was I supposed to say? 'Go away and never come back'?"

"Yes," Sanzo said in all seriousness, before rising to his feet. Goku could tell the look of pure boredom had set into the man's features again, and Goku frowned. The man was blind, what could he possibly entertain himself with? He felt a pang of guilt, and without warning, he spoke.

"Want to watch a movie?"

At this, Sanzo actually paused, turning in the direction of his voice. His features just screamed annoyed. "I would love to, idiot, if I could see."

"Of course I'd explain it to you," Goku muttered as he crossed the kitchen, staying close as Sanzo probed the cupboards for a glass. Apparently he was thirsty. Sanzo would only ask for help when he was downright desperate, so Goku decided to hang back, watching. He wanted to make sure Sanzo didn't break another glass. He'd been doing enough of that over the past few days. "Or we could go for a walk. Just something to get you out of the house, I'm sure you're almost bored to death by now."

Sanzo grunted, though if it was in agreement or disapproval Goku didn't now. He watched the man find the sink with ease, filling the glass and drinking it. Goku was mildly surprised how good Sanzo was getting. He could practically weave himself around the apartment easily now, and barely stumbled or entered the wrong rooms. Goku was dimly impressed. He watched the young man finish the water, place the cup back in the sink and lean back against the counter. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling it back from his face and allowed Goku a good look at him.

"Stop staring, idiot."

Goku blinked, coming out of his stupor and glaring up at the man. "I have a name you know," he snapped, not even bothering to deny the fact that he was staring. It would be useless anyway.

Sanzo scoffed, moving along the counter. "Idiot fits you better," he said sharply, before adding, "Where's the door?"

Goku blinked, before realizing that meant Sanzo was taking him up on his offer. Grinning broadly, he crossed the room, and gently took the man by the arm. Sanzo flinched, but didn't pull away. "C'mon," he said simply, before pulling the blond towards the door. Sanzo was able to find his shoes easily, and Goku leant him a jacket, as his other one seemed to be falling apart at the seams. With that, the pair slipped out, down the stairs and out into the streets.

Sanzo's first reaction to the cold was actually quite amusing; brows drawn together in disgust while his nose wrinkled, tugging the jacket closer to him. "It's snowing?" he said simply, looking about as though he was able to tell where he was.

Goku frowned, noticing the large white snowflakes falling from the sky. Oh yeah, he forgot about that. Pulling the hood up on his own jacket, he turned up towards the blond. "Yes, it is. Got a problem with that?"

Sanzo frowned, looking upwards and catching fat snowflakes on his face. The clung to his hair, and with his already blond hair and pale skin, it made him look almost angelic. Goku had to suppress a smile. The blond still seemed to be contemplating his question, and after a moment turned his head down from the sky. "Not really," he said simply. "It's just cold, is all."

"Yeah…" Goku said lightly. After a moment, he decided to take the blond to the park not far away, and grasped his hand to lead him there. He was stunned when Sanzo didn't do much more then tense, before relaxing and following his lead obediently. No smart-ass comments. No snapping. Just calmly walking after him, his lips only turned down slightly in a frown.

Smiling softly to himself, Goku pulled the blond through the small downtown crowds, and brought him towards the park that lay with the river, not far from where Sanzo washed up on shore. They headed down into the more dense parts of the park. There were paths and trails for joggers and bike riders, and trees and foliage that were all doused in snow. It looked like a picture out of a fairy tale. Goku let his grip on Sanzo's hand loosen after they had arrived within the park where there were less people. He truly didn't want to let go, and was surprised when Sanzo suddenly gripped his hand tightly with a snarl. "To hell if you're ditching me in here somewhere," he said stiffly. Goku simply smiled.

The pair mostly walked along the paths, and Goku would point out things here and there, telling him where not to step, and what trees to avoid. Eventually Sanzo's grip on his hand loosened, as his fear of being lost began to slip away from him. Soon he had let Goku go completely, and was wandering off not far, as though enjoying the scenery. Goku was disappointed at the loss of contact, but glad to see Sanzo loosening up.

A grin caught his lips as he balled up the snow in his hands, hurling a snowball in the direction of the blond. It hit him in the back of the head, and Goku watched the blond stiffen, and stand there for a moment before turning in his direction, and growling. Goku could not longer help himself as he burst out laughing at the look on the older man's face. Sanzo wasted no time balling and snowball and hurling it at him. Surprisingly, it hit his target right on, and Goku could only think it was because he was laughing so loudly.

Goku didn't hesitate to retaliate, and soon the both of them were covered in snow. As Goku prepared to hurl another snow ball at him, he paused, watching Sanzo grow closer to a ditch, and he frowned. "Sanzo, you're about to—" he couldn't even finish his sentence as the blond slipped, and Goku was already there, grabbing his hand. This only served to pull him down as well, as the pair went tumbling down the small ditch into a pile of snow. This left Goku sprawled out over the blond's chest, and Sanzo twisted awkwardly beneath him, half buried in the snow.

After a moment, Goku grinned, poking Sanzo's stomach. "Wow. Scrawny boy's got abs."

This produced a smack and a string of curses from the blond beneath him as he sat up, shoving the younger off of him. "Shit," he said finally. "It's fucking cold."

Goku couldn't help but laugh softly into his hand. Snow was clinging to parts of the blond's hair, and had completely covered his lower half. He looked like a drowned rat. Or, a snow-drowned rat. Goku snickered. "Okay little miss snow princess, would you like to go home?"

Sanzo snarled at him, pushing himself to his feet. Otherwise he seemed to ignore the insult. "Of course I want to go home," He then turned, making his way up the small ditch. "C'mon Goku, it's not like I can get home on my own."

Goku was surprised at the sudden usage of his name. That was the first time the man had said it. He was stunned into silence, before he smiled softly, rising to his feet and heading up the ditch after him. He wouldn't say anything about his name today, but someday soon he would. Who knows? Maybe this would be a regular thing now. Goku grinned at the thought. The way his own name rolled off Sanzo's tongue made him unspeakably happy, for reasons he didn't know.

They made their way back through the city the way they came, making their way up the stairs and into the apartment. After shedding their jackets and boots, Goku approached the kitchen and Sanzo fell into the couch comfortably, still grumbling about his wet hair. "You want hot chocolate?" Goku asked from the kitchen, already pulling out the kettle and the mix.

"Whatever," Sanzo called back lazily. Goku knew that was about a good a yes as he was going to get. It didn't take him long for the water to start to boil. He poured two cups, before taking them into the living room. He placed one next to Sanzo, and the man all but pounced on it. He sipped at the hot liquid, and after a quick demand, moved to allow Goku to sit on the other end of the couch.

Goku stared into his hot chocolate for a long time, distracted. He hadn't been bothered by the snow today. Hell, he'd had _fun_. More fun then he'd had in a long time. That in itself had been relieving. As he turned towards the young blond who'd been silent the entire time, he was surprised to find Sanzo had fallen asleep curled up on the other end of the couch.

Goku stared a moment, studying the way Sanzo's elbow had been cupped out under his head as a pillow, or the way his lips parted slightly in sleep. He couldn't help but admire the way his eye lids flickered in a dream, or the way his entire face relaxed and he seemed absolutely angelic. Goku paused a moment, before rising to his feet. He placed the blanket on the back of the couch over him, smiling softly. Brushing bangs from the man's eyes, he leaned down, placing a simple kiss to Sanzo's forehead.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered, before he turned and headed for his room.

* * *

**A/N: **If this chapter doesn't scream fan-chapter I don't know what does. I just wanted to put something nice in there for all my good readers, because soon I'm going to have to pile a lot of angst on these two boys. Anst is my anti-drug, woot! 

And I just wanted to thank Jurie-chan for doing thr French translations for me, because I forgot to last chapter. I'm so forgetful sometimes. (cries)

C&C appreciated.

Translations: (As they appear)

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"How can you be so stupid? What the hell is wrong with you? At this rate, you're going to get me killed!"


	7. Chapter Seven

**Blind Devotion **

**Chapter Seven**

"Sanzo!"

Flipping around, he tried to pinpoint the sound of the voice, but all he could see was darkness. Suffocating, endless darkness. He knew that voice, though. It was Goku.

"Sanzo!!"

It sounded scared now, frightened. It tugged on Sanzo's heartstrings. Was Goku all right? Where was he? Sanzo attempted to find the young man, but he could only wander blindly in the darkness. How could he help the young man when he couldn't _see _anything? He attempted calling out, but his own voice was lost out within the vast darkness. Fear and worry began to settle into his chest. What was going on?

"Sanzo! Where are you?"

'I'm here' he tried to yell, but the words wouldn't even form on his tongue. He attempted to find the boy, but suddenly found himself rooted in place. He could suddenly hear Goku whimper, and with it came small sobs. He wished he could do some thing to stop this, but he couldn't see, couldn't even move, couldn't even call out to him. Sanzo had never felt more helpless.

"Sanzo!" he heard Goku scream out again. "Help me!!"

He heard a low chuckle and his body grew rigid. He recognized that tone. He'd lived and worked alongside the owner of that voice for longer then he could remember. "Sanzo, vas-tu le laisser mourir?" he heard Homura chuckle, before more of Goku's choked sobs rang through. "Je croyais que tu essayais de te sauver de ce sang qui te tache les mains?"

"Stop this, Homura!" Sanzo screamed, surprised to find himself unable to speak French, as he normally could. It felt like his tongue would only allow him to speak English. It was infuriating all the same.

"Comment veux-tu le secourir lorsque tu ne peux même pas te sauver toi-même?"

Then he heard a choked gurgle, and feel the blood splatter on him. He could feel it on his face, on his hands. The scent of it was nauseating. It was real. So horrifyingly real. He felt Homura shove the smaller body into him. He could feel Goku's cold cheek pressed against his shoulder, the feeling of his hair tickling his neck, but mostly he could feel the blood soaking further into his clothes. He could only rest his shaking hands on Goku's shoulders.

Turning his eyes upwards, he was surprised that he could see Homura's form standing in front of him, clear as day. The man's hair was hanging messily and yet orderly around his face, and his long dark jacket hung down to his ankles, making him seem all the more dangerous as he stared at Sanzo with eyes laced with pure seriousness. "Le patron est très déçu de ton comportement, Sanzo. Il est temps de rentrer à la maison. Je suis las de constamment avoir à venir te chercher."

"Go to hell," Sanzo spat, once again the French turning to English on his tongue. He tried not to let that bother him as he glared at the man in front of him. "I'm not coming home, and I'm not handing over the Maten scripture. So fuck off and stop hunting me."

"ARIYA se meurt," Homura said simply, his eyes unwavering in their intensity. Though his tone took on a false sadness. "Et s'il meurt, nous ne pourrons nous permettre de te laisser nous quitter. Nous avons besoin de tes talents, Sanzo."

Sanzo merely growled, his hands on Goku's shoulder growing taunt. "Leave, and don't come back."

Homura frowned softly, closing his eyes. "Comme tu le désires."

---

Sanzo awoke with a start, gasping in air as he attempted to fill his lungs. It wasn't like the previous dream, where he'd been choking, but the shock and pure weight of the dream had driven the strength from him. Homura had always had that affect on people. He felt a touch to his shoulder, and startled, before relaxing under the familiarity.

"Sanzo…" it was Goku. He was alive. All okay… just an illusion… "Are you okay?" Sanzo could practically hear the frown in his tone, and let out a shaky sigh, before attempting to regain the composure he'd lost.

"…Yeah," Sanzo said after a minute, running his fingers through his hair, as though trying to sooth himself. "Just a nightmare."

Goku seemed to accept that as he stood, smiling away. He could hear his happiness that morning as he listening to the soft footsteps along the ground. Goku wasn't wearing socks, was the only real thought that managed to get through his still sleep-muddled mind. "Okay then," he heard Goku say happily. "Then why don't I make you lunch? You slept for a long time, the sun's already up."

Turning towards the window, Sanzo could feel the sun streaming in, warming his face. He stared out the window a moment, before hissing, and turning his eyes away.

Goku looked up from his spot at the kitchen. "Something wrong, Sanzo?"

The blond got to his feet, making his way expertly around the coffee table and over towards the kitchen with accuracy. He finally blinked a few time, shaking whatever it was off. "Nothing, my eyes just hurt, is all," he said, before taking his seat at the table.

And only after a few moments died the pain in Sanzo's eyes disappear.

Weird.

---

The cold air was brisk that afternoon, and standing next to a river was not exactly smart, Homura thought as he hugged his jacket closer to him. Discovering Sanzo's location that morning had not gone as well as planned, but at least he'd been able to prove his point, as well as find out he was staying with someone. Though thanks to the man's blindness he wasn't able to find out who. He didn't even have a face. His own attack was coming back to bite him in the ass.

He frowned, watching the people move along the back in search of any clues. There were only a few left along the river; others were out searching the city. They were going to find Sanzo no matter how many buildings they had to overturn.

"Homura," he turned at his name, watching as Shien and Zenon approached him. They were his most trustworthy accomplices, since no one were really friends where they came from. The taller of the two, Shien, tied his hair back and kept his eyes closed. He swore a thin jacket and jeans, as the weather never seemed to affect him much. Zenon, however, wore a thick winter jacket and a tuque, his arms in his pockets. The man had never really accustomed to the cold.

"Anything?" Homura asked, hopeful.

"Nothing," Zenon replied, shivering. "I've just received reports that our men throughout the city are still searching, and have no leads."

"It seems as though he was carried away," Shien continued, causing Homura to turn back to him. "There are no footfalls that could belong to him, leading away from the river. Though I have found another set farther up that belong to him. They return to the river, and then depart with another set."

This caused Homura's brows to crease in question. "Do you know where they lead?"

Shien shook his head. "I have not been able to discover that. I shall continue looking." The pair both bowed, before turning off as Homura dismissed them.

He then turned, and began walking along the riverside, wondering idly how it was that Sanzo could escape their grasp. Like a ghost fluttering away in the wind. Three units scouring the city and yet he could still remain totally oblivious. He knew someone must've taken him in, and was hiding him. Sanzo's dream had only confirmed it, not to mention that if he was on the streets they would have found him by then.

Smiling, Homura turned his gaze up towards the nearby apartment buildings, taking in the stature of them. He let his gaze trail over to Goku's apartment, cocking his head to the side as he wondered if Goku was home.

"He's probably right under our noses," he muttered, before turning back towards the search party.

---

"_Come Goku, Mommy's cold," the tug on his hand did nothing more then slow him down as the young golden-eyed child took in their new house. It was huge to him. It may've been only one story, but it was beautiful. Crisp white snow covered the roof, and all out over the yard. They had a yard! Better yet, he had an entire ranch! The place was far away from the city, making it absolutely peaceful. He tugged on his mother's hand, beckoning her to come and play. _

"_Mommy! Mommy! Can we play in the snow?" he asked happily, eyes unnaturally bright as he watched the snow fall silently to the ground. It was beautiful and breathtaking. The youngster attempted to waddle out towards the yard, his snowsuit making movement difficult. _

"_Maybe later, sweetheart." His mother told him soothingly, smiling sweetly at the sight of her son. "Maybe after your father comes with the boxes, we can all go out and play in the snow? We can celebrate the new house and build a snowman." _

"_Yeah!" the brunet cheered happily. "I wanna make a whole lotta snowmen! A snowmen family!" _

_His mother smiled, tapping him softly on the nose. "Then be a good boy until then, Okay?" _

_The three-year-old grinned. "Okay!"_

_---_

_The five year old raced through the yard, making snowballs and hurling them towards their small dog, Nana. The dog jumped in the air, catching the snowball in her mouth and yipping happily. Goku laughed, before whistling and turning back towards the house. The small dog yipped happily and chased after him. Goku tore open the back door as Nana slithered past him into the warmth of the back door. Goku pulled off his boots and jacket, and moved up towards the kitchen. _

_He froze in the doorway, watching his mother and father yelling yet again. They had gotten into a lot of fights over the years, and it only seemed to be getting worse with each day that went by. He was never sure what they argued about, only that most of the time it was bad, often ending in screaming fits. _

"_I don't care what you say!" his father yelled, echoing through the small house. It made Goku wince. "We don't have enough money as it is and that dog is only sucking up even more money! It's the dog or the house!" _

"_Oh, but he loves that dog," his mother argued back. "Can't you take something else? If you stopped drinking so much then maybe we'd have enough money to pay off some bills!" _

_A sound slap connected with his mother's face and she went tumbling back into the counter. Nana gave a bark and Goku let out a horrified scream. He raced forwards, falling next to his mother's side, already crying. His father paid them no mind as he went to deal with the dog who was barking loudly. Nana gave out a whimper and Goku turned back in time to watch his father drag her towards the door. _

"_No Daddy!" Goku screamed, grabbing the dog's mid-section, still crying. "Don't take away Nana! Please Daddy!" _

"_Shut up!" the smack that sounded sent him spiraling off the dog, cracking his head against the wall. It hurt, but did not cause him to lose consciousness as he watched his father drag his dog out the door, taking it away to god-knows-where. Goku found all he could do was cry. _

_---_

_It was the winter when he was eight that everything finally came together. Over the year things had grown worse and worse. Goku had not seen Nana again, and assumed he never would. The state of the house worsened until it was a little more then a sinking shack. Cleaning and caring had stopped. Their entire world was falling apart. _

_It was late that night as Goku stumbled out of his room, heading down the hallway lazily. It was late, but he couldn't sleep. He headed towards the kitchen, where a light was on. Entering, he froze at the sight of his mother, seated at the table with an assortment of needles laid out before her. She had grown thin over the past years, and looked little more then skin on bone. Her hair was messy, and matted in places. There was dried blood caking her upper lip, but she didn't seem to mind. Grabbing a needle, she placed it to her forearm, before injecting the liquid. She smiled an eerie smile and Goku suddenly thought it would have been better if he stayed in bed. _

_His mother turned to him, and smiled, holding out her hand. "Goku? Honey? Come here." _

_Reluctant, he approached his mother. Goku let out a shriek of surprise when she suddenly grabbed his arm, ripping up his sleep to show his bare arm. He immediately began pulling and twisting, crying for her to let him go. _

"_Hush baby," she whispered, picking up a needle and placing it over his arm. "It'll only hurt for a minute." _

_Using his other arm, he slapped her hand away. The needle drug over his skin, leaving a thing layer of fire as he pulled away from her, panting. His eyes were wide as he watched his mother's emotionless expression. Just as she was about to move, his father stepped in. He said something Goku couldn't hear before producing a knife. _

_Goku screamed out in terror as he watched his father knife his mother, over and over and over. After his father seemed satisfied with his work, he turned to look up at Goku, who had frozen in shock. Goku couldn't move, couldn't breathe as he watched his father drop the knife like it was nothing, and then turn, and walk out the door. _

_Goku turned towards the body of his mother, and screamed, and screamed, and screamed. He continued to scream as the snow fluttered soundlessly to the ground outdoors. _

_Seven weeks later when social services came to find out what had happened to the family, they found the body of the woman who'd purchased the house still rotting away on the kitchen floor. They had discovered Goku not long after. The eight-year-old looked practically bone-thin, and was lying in a puddle of his own blood. The boy had eaten whatever remained in the house, which wasn't much, and when he couldn't handle it anymore, had torn open his wrist with whatever had been left of his mother's needles. _

"_Help me…"_

"Goku!! Wake up!"

"_Who's that…?"_

"Goku! Ouvres tes yeux!"

"…_Sanzo…"_

* * *

**A/N: **I understand this chapter is confusing and rushed, but everything is going to come together in the next chapter, I promise. And I'm sorry if Goku's past upset some of you, but I promise that's as detailed as it gets.

C&C appreciated.

Translaltions: (As they appear)

"Sanzo, are you going to let him die?"

"I thought you tried to run from the blood on your hands?"

"How can you save him when you can't even save yourself?"

"The Boss is very disappointed with your behavior Sanzo; it's time to come home. I'm tired of having to keep retrieving you."

"ARIYA is dying..." "...If he does die, then we cannot let you go. We need your skills, Sanzo."

"As you wish."

"Goku! Open your eyes!"


	8. Chapter Eight

**Blind Devotion **

**Chapter Eight**

"Goku!"

Goku's eyes snapped open in the dim light, gasping for air as his eyes sought out the figure on top of him in the darkness. He could barely make out the blond locks that fell across pale skin which shone with an ethereal light. Violet eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, seeking him out with their sightless vision. There was a look of panic drawn into his features and his lips were pressed together in a thin line.

As Goku managed to get his hysteria under control, his hand reflexively reached up and grabbed Sanzo's wrist where it clutched his shoulder tightly. Knowing the blond probably couldn't see his open eyes, he muttered out, "I'm okay now, I'm awake… I'm okay…" though it seemed like it was more comforting to himself then Sanzo.

None the less Sanzo seemed to relax, a sigh escaping his lips as he released the young brunet, falling back to sit next to him. Goku sat up, watching as Sanzo's eyes turned away from him. "You were screaming bloody murder," Sanzo remarked, his expression becoming impassive as he rested his chin in his hand. "I had to do something before someone called the cops."

"T-Thanks," Goku whispered, drawing his knees to his chest and reflecting back on the dream that had haunted him for years and years. Shaking, he pushed his hair back from his face, as though trying to push the thoughts from his mind. "It… was…" he paused, feeling Sanzo turn to him, though still not seeing him. "My parents… we bought this house when I was really little. On a ranch. My Mom said it was away from the problems of the city, and oh god, I don't know what happened…"

Sanzo stared at him, calmly, waiting for the young man to continue. The soft sounds of Goku's ticking alarm pierced through the night's silence.

Goku continued to stare off, babbling in a subconscious need to explain his problem to someone—_anyone_—who would listen. "And… they started fighting. It was over money… or something, I don't know. And then they were fighting all the time, and he started hitting her… And my mom became depressed, or something and she was doing all these drugs, and…" Threading his fingers further into his hair, he hung his head, though his continuous babbling did not cease. "…And then he killed her. I don't even know why, he just… killed her. I thought I was going to die… I've never been so scared in my life… and then…. Then he just left. Left me with my Mom, but my…" he hiccupped. "…My Mom was already dead and… and…"

He could feel the weight of the memories pushing down on him, and could feel the sting of salty tears at the back of his eyes, but made sure they would not fall. He would not allow himself to cry in front of Sanzo, because not only did he not want to embarrass himself, but Sanzo already believed he was an idiot, and adding 'crybaby' to the list of insults didn't sound like fun.

He was surprised when Sanzo said nothing, instead laying a comforting hand on his head. He moved, looking up at the man whose face was screwed up in what looked like forced annoyance and embarrassment. It was as though the soothing touch was completely foreign and uncomfortable to him. "Come on, Goku. We might as well make something while we're up."

"Late night munchies?" Goku asked with a soft smile, stunned at the way Sanzo could simply melt all the tension within him.

Said blond snarled. "Shut up."

Stumbling off the bed, Sanzo touched the wall lightly before making his way towards the door. Goku could not help but admire Sanzo's gait as he headed for the door. He was so confident, so calm, so tantalizing, so….

_Alluring. _

Goku flushed scarlet as his thoughts began to trail on into unwanted territory. He was suddenly glad Sanzo could not see him blushing to his hairline as he paused at the door. "You going to move your ass or what?" Sanzo snapped, though the irritation seemed a little forced, even to Goku.

Smiling softly, Goku slid from bed, suddenly aware he was still in his boxers and a simple t-shirt. He flushed and thought to put on pants, before remembering Sanzo was blind. Hell, he could strut out there naked and Sanzo probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Shaking his head at his own self-consciousness, Goku rose to his feet. He stepped into slippers before the cold from the floor could seep into his feet and headed towards the kitchen after Sanzo.

Goku watched as Sanzo approached the counter, pulling out two glasses and moving towards the fridge. Sanzo was getting very good at moving without sight, Goku thought idly as he watched the blond, protective and bemused. He was waiting for Sanzo to drop something, as he had many times in the past. Sanzo wasn't clumsy, but sometimes his hand would smack into something while he was carrying a dish and he would drop it. His klutzy nature had only developed from his impaired sight. His eyes betrayed his silent orders and began to trail over Sanzo's shirtless frame accented by the light of the refrigerator door. He wasn't really thinking, just silently watching the way Sanzo's muscles moved with the rest of him, until…

"Is this the juice?"

Goku blinked out of his reverie, looking to the carton Sanzo held in his hand. "Close. That's the milk."

Sanzo simply scowled, leaning back into the fridge and pulling out the only other container that could be the juice. He turned back to the glasses he set out on the counter, grasping them in his hands to make sure he wouldn't miss before pouring two cups of orange juice. Goku tried not to enjoy the way Sanzo's hair brushed the back of his neck, almost reaching down to his shoulders. He tried not to enjoy the almost-peaceful look on the man's face as he placed the juice back in the fridge. He tried not to stare as Sanzo leaned back, downing the juice in a positively erotic pose. He tried _really_ hard not to stare. He _would not_ stare. He _wasn't_ staring!

He was staring.

Damnit all.

Kicking himself into movement, Goku reached out and grabbed the cup of juice as Sanzo began to trail along the cupboards, looking for his favorite treat over the last few days: chocolate fudge cookies. Goku loved them too, and hated the way that Sanzo was practically inhaling them. Though his drastic intake of food seemed to be dimming, and this only cemented Goku's theory that the man was not used to such carefree eating habits.

His thoughts began to trail into unwanted territory as he watched Sanzo scour the cupboards blindly. Then a thought hit him.

"Hey, Sanzo?"

"What?"

Goku frowned softly at the irritation found in his voice. Shrugging it off, he voiced his question, "How come you can speak French? Did your parents teach it to you or something?"

Sanzo paused only briefly in his search, brows drawn together as a frown crossed his features. After finally grasping the desired box, he pulled it close to him and popped the top, munching on a cookie as he pulled himself up onto the counter. At first, Goku didn't think Sanzo would reply to his question before he said, "I'm from France." He paused, allowing Goku to blink stupidly.

"France?" was the only thing he could squeak out.

Sanzo nodded gravely, taking a bite out of another cookie. "It's where I was born. So of course French was the first thing out of my little toddler mouth," Sanzo added with a bit of sarcasm as he took another bite out of a cookie.

"Cute," Goku said, before finally deciding to drink down the orange juice which was still untouched in his hand. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was almost four am, but he wasn't tired in the least.

_In fact,_ he thought as his eyes trailed back to Sanzo, watching as he took another bite out of a cookie. _I'm more pissed off that he's eating all my cookies._

Snarling, Goku crossed his arms, frowning at the blond in the dim light. "Hey, watch it, that's my last box."

Sanzo formed a frown, attempting to shoot it in his direction but it was lost helplessly on the sink. "So?" he drawled on in the same mocking tone Goku had used a few days ago. "I'm eating them. Too bad." To prove his point, Sanzo shoved another cookie in his mouth.

_You're acting like a child,_ Goku wanted to say, but decided he didn't want to sound like a hypocrite as a second later the brunet sprung out into action. He reached out towards the box, grinning before Sanzo's reflexes caught up with him and he held the box high in the air, as though mocking Goku's height—or lack thereof. Growling and cursing, Goku reached out for his box, not caring that he was still at least a foot away from his prize, or the fact that he was practically crawling over Sanzo to reach the box. He wanted the damn cookies!

It was only when Sanzo stopped moving and he was able to grasp the man's wrist did Goku think something was wrong. He found himself mostly on the counter, though when that happened Goku couldn't say. One knee was placed in between Sanzo's legs, mostly supporting his weight while his other leg hung down off the counter, his toes barely brushing the floor. While both hands grasped the man's wrist, which was held high in the air, his face flushed for what felt like the millionth time that night. He stared into sightless violet pools which darted around frantically, as though he was trying to see the boy perched in his lap.

Just as Goku was about to pull away and apologize for being so close to a man who clearly did not want physical contact, Sanzo spoke. "What do you look like?" he asked suddenly.

There was silence as Goku watched Sanzo's face flush darkly, though he tried to hide it with annoyance and aggravation. "Forget it. Never mind. Get off me you stupid monkey."

Goku, if anything, pinned the man to the counter even harder, bringing his other leg into play as he pressed it on the other side of Sanzo's thigh. With one hand he pulled the box away from him, setting it on the counter where it would be within grabbing range later should Sanzo decide to steal them back. He took Sanzo's hand gently, and placed it to the side of his cheek. Sanzo flinched visibly at the unexpected contact. "Nataku had an uncle who was blind," Goku explained softly and he released Sanzo's hand. "He said he had to do these kinds of things, so his uncle could 'see' what he looked like."

Surprisingly, Sanzo did not pull his hand away. His hand hovered over Goku's cheek, shaking softly as though he was handling delicate glass. The look on his face was priceless. He looked mystified, and curious and yet intrigued and embarrassed. Goku couldn't help but smile as Sanzo's hand gently trailed down his cheek, fingers grazing lightly over his lips before moving up over his nose. He closed his eyes as they traced lightly over his eyelids.

"What color are your eyes?" Sanzo asked suddenly. His tone sounded light and airy, as though he was still half emerged in his thoughts.

"Gold," Goku replied, not surprised to find his own voice light in the dim room. It felt like the darkness of the night sucked away both of their voices, leaving them to only rasp out to one another.

"Gold," Sanzo repeated, as it confirming it within himself. His hand still shaking, it traveled up, crossing his forehead with his palm as though feeling to a fever before tangling in chestnut locks.

"What color is your hair?" he asked softly, eyes flickering about as if attempting to focus desperately on the boy's face.

Goku smiled softly. "Brown," he said, continuing even before Sanzo could voice his next question. "A kind of… chocolate brown. Not too light and not too dark. It's short too, and doesn't even go to my shoulders. And my skin's kind of tanned, because I used to play outside a lot…"

"Did I ask?" Sanzo snarled, though his voice held no roughness. It was as though he was putting on a show for an audience who was not present. His hand slowly moved down from the boy's forehead, trailing over his lips and the curve of his jaw. Both of them could feel the rise in heat and tension in the atmosphere, and Sanzo licked his lips, as though his throat had suddenly gone dry. Goku wanted to pull away, laugh it off and get something to drink to cool his heated skin. But no matter how loud his mind screamed at his muscles to pull away, to distance himself, it felt like his body had _decided_ that if he left Sanzo's side he would drop down right there and die.

Goku felt like screaming and congratulating himself at the same time when he leaned out and kissed Sanzo.

The blond went rigid against him, stunned and unmoving and Goku took the initiative to start turning the kiss from simply chaste to passionate. His left hand somehow found it's way to Sanzo's thigh, mostly using it to support himself—the counter would off-set the leverage—as his other hand worked it's way to the side of Sanzo's face, feeling the delicate porcelain beneath his fingers. He was surprised when Sanzo began kissing him back, matching his intensity with a certain boyish clumsiness. Goku found it kind of cute, and wondered if Sanzo had kissed many people before. Not that Goku was the expert. He's only had two girlfriends in his life and certainly not any _boyfriends_. So they worked on instinct alone, and that seemed to be enough for them.

Tongues danced blindly in a battle for dominance, one Goku found himself losing despite his small amount of experience. Experience or not; Goku doubted Sanzo would allow himself to be dominated so easily. Sanzo's hands found their way to the small of his back, keeping him in place as Goku's legs began to go numb. Goku leaned back against his arms, and moaned softly into Sanzo's mouth. Big mistake.

The next second Sanzo's eyes—despite not being able to see with them—shot open in surprise in the dim light, and he broke away from the kiss. At the same time his hold on Goku's lower back suddenly disappeared. With the loss of his support, Goku went tumbling to the ground, landing with a dull thud on the cold floor. Grumbling curses under his breath, his golden eyes shot out Sanzo's form in the darkness.

"What the hell was that for?" he snapped loudly. His anger began to dissipate at the look in Sanzo's eyes. To anyone else, he looked impassive, but Goku found the man's expression open and exposed. Confusion, and uncertainty, as though he was that little boy once again, lost and confused without his mother. It reminded Goku a lot of the day Sanzo woke up.

"Je ne peux faire ça…'' Sanzo whispered, before turning and bolting off towards Nataku's room. The sound of Sanzo stumbling over a chair, the slamming of the bedroom door and the sounds of a not-so-far-away clock ticking hung suspended in the apartment, as though the sounds were merely unsettled dust, gliding through the air until it could settle back into silence.

Goku didn't pay attention to the ringing echoes drifting off. He merely stared, numb.

Rejection hurt.

---

"So, let me get this straight," Gojyo muttered as he continued chopping carrots, throwing them into a frying pan before turning back to his younger companion, attempting to hide the smirk from the young brunet. "He wanted to know what you looked like, you told him, you kissed him, he kissed you back… then he dumped your ass on the floor?"

Goku was blushing to his hairline to hear the past night's experience relayed in such a crude manner. Sanzo hadn't even come out of his room that morning before Goku went off to work, and they hadn't spoken since then. Goku out of fear of what the blond would say and Sanzo… truthfully he had no idea what Sanzo was thinking. A part of him didn't want to know. "You said you wouldn't make fun of me, Gojyo," Goku snapped, furiously peeling potatoes. He then turned to the redhead, brows drawn together into the perfect look of anger. "And if you dare tell a soul about this I swear I'll make your life miserable."

Gojyo grinned with delight, unable to hold back his enjoyment. "Oh yeah? And what does the mini-monkey have that could ruin the life of the tremendously hot Sha Gojyo?"

"I'll tell Hakkai it wasn't just a drunken stupor that made you try to pull his pants off three weeks ago," Goku shot back, eyes narrowing and a smirk catching his lips.

Gojyo paled suddenly, before his own eyes narrowed and a frown crossed his features. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

A moment of silence passed between them as each gauged the other's will. Finally, Gojyo broke away first, causing a grin to blossom on Goku's face. "Fine," Gojyo said after a moment, retuning to the tedious task of chopping vegetables. "What do you want me to do?"

Goku returned to his own task as well, his eyes darting around to make sure no one was overhearing. "Well, I don't know… I just... don't want things to be… you know… awkward…?"

The utensils Gojyo was using a moment ago dropped into the sink as the man turned to him, brows raised as he placed his hands on his hips. "Oh my god, my little Goku wants to seduce his very first man."

"Gojyo!" Goku hissed, eyes darting around to make sure no one overheard before turning back to the redhead with a scowl. "I am not going to seduce Sanzo," he whispered through grit teeth. "He's clearly not interested. Besides, I mean… I don't…."

Sighing, Gojyo rolled his eyes. "You're in love with him, right?" he asked bluntly.

"Gojyo!"

"Fine, you're attracted to him, right?"

"…I guess."

"And you kissed him and you liked it, right?"

A blush and a nervous twist of his fingers. "Yeah…"

"And he kissed you back?"

"Before he shoved me to the floor."

Gojyo grinned, messing up his hair. "Then with Uncle Gojyo, Master of Seduction on your side, he'll be in your bed before you can say 'Gojyo is the best teacher ever'. Besides, if he kissed you, then he's at least a little interested," he winked at the young brunet. "You're a cutie, Goku. I don't see why he wouldn't be all over you."

Goku scowled to hide his blush. "If you're the Master of Seduction, then why isn't Hakkai is _your _bed?"

Gojyo frowned deeply at the implications before he broke out into chuckles and shoved Goku lightly in the shoulder. "I'm working on it shorty. Trust me, I'm working on it."

* * *

**A/N: **Not so much angst in this chapter. I'm getting the romance out of the way first before I go back to the angst. I hope you can all live with some 3x9 love. (laughs) This chapter and the next were two of my favorites to write, simply because it's all SanzoxGokuness. Not to say I don't enjoy the angst but… I understand I'm rambling. (sigh) Uh, C&C much appreciated.

Translations: (as they appear)

"I can't do this..."


	9. Chapter Nine

**Blind Devotion **

**Chapter Nine**

Gods, seducing Sanzo was _fun!_

Well, it technically couldn't be called 'seducing' more like 'torturing.' He had to remember to thank Gojyo for this, because his tips and hints were giving him a lot to entertain himself with. On Gojyo's orders, he'd resorted to wearing as little clothes as possible. This at first, proved to be difficult, as winter was upon them and his apartment was cold. But, he'd decided to turn up the heat, which only seemed to make Sanzo all the more uncomfortable. With every chance he got, he attempted to brush up against the man. Whether it was a contact of hand, or sliding a little too closely past him in the kitchen. It always served to make Sanzo flinch, and every time Goku had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing. Forcing the closeness upon Sanzo was exhilarating and exciting. This was a game now, to him, one he was sure to win.

Though his plan was a double-edged sword. The closer he got to Sanzo, the more he wanted him. Every touch now seemed to send shockwaves through his stomach just as it did to Sanzo. Even turning up the heat seemed to bite him in the ass as Sanzo had resorted to wearing little more then skin-tight jeans, and nothing else. The first day he'd discovered Sanzo leaning into the fridge in nothing but jeans made him stop, the heat rising to his face as he could think of nothing more then jumping the blond right then and there.

It seemed—willingly or not—Sanzo had joined Goku's little game of seduction.

Sanzo had been lying languidly on the couch after his shower that afternoon, staring up at the ceiling. He hadn't bothered to dry himself as he allowed himself to air-dry. His hair was still wet and water still clung to his chest in places. Sanzo had figured out that seeing the blond still wet from his shower drove Goku crazy. Every time he did it was like a point for the blond. But Goku had decided to win himself some points.

"Bored?" he called out from across the living room. His lips curling up into a smirk as the blond shot him a sightless glare.

"Of course I am," Sanzo growled.

Goku crossed the room, attempting to keep himself from running in excitement. It seemed Sanzo sensed when what was coming as he sat upright, but could not stop Goku from leaning atop him. Sanzo sunk back into the couch, seemingly wanting to put distance between them. Goku smiled softly, leaning down towards the man's ear as he placed a hand on his chest. It was mostly to keep him from running but it seemed to be backfiring as Goku felt the heated skin beneath his palm. He tried to push it from his mind and focus on torturing Sanzo.

Leaning down next to his ear, Goku smiled. "I know something that can quell the boredom," he whispered into the shell of the man's ear, meanwhile letting his hand travel down to the waistband of Sanzo's pants. Slipping two fingers into the waistband, he heard Sanzo's breath hitch lightly.

It was then Goku pulled away, and hurried down the hall to his room. He prayed to the heavens he wasn't running because that would lose him points. He entered his room, releasing a shaky breath as he slid down towards the ground. His heart was pounding in his chest and his face was flushed.

He grinned; this was fun.

---

Sanzo's attack came next. Though exceedingly less obvious, it was there, and caused shockwaves to course through Goku as though he'd just been electrocuted. It had begun that morning with simple touches; brushing against his arm, or sliding too close to him. But then it had escalated when Sanzo had the audacity to take a shower then stride right into Goku's room afterwards. Goku had been casually sitting on his bed, watching TV on the small screen that had been set up in his room.

It had been pleasant, until Sanzo abruptly strode in, wearing little more then a towel around his waist. His entire body was still wet, and Goku could do little more then gape at him, following a water droplet as it made it's way down Sanzo's chest, before stopping at his towel.

Sanzo then fell into bed next to him, the towel practically hanging off of him, begging Goku to simply tear it off. Goku gripped the sides of the bed; it was all he could do to keep from molesting the poor man. It took Goku a moment to collect his bearings enough to speak. "S-Sanzo?" he cried out, feeling his voice cracking despite his best efforts. "W-what are you doing?"

Sanzo turned to face him, and Goku could feel his breath hitch, his face heat up. He just wanted to kiss that stupid smug face senseless, but resisted the temptation. The man couldn't stop the smug smirk from catching his lips. "Oh? Goku? I didn't realize this was your room," the blond said tauntingly, pressing his leg against the brunet's. Goku bit his tongue to avoid hissing. Damnit, Sanzo _knew_ how hot he was, and was using it against him! He growled softly at his own weakness.

Without warning Sanzo sprung to his feet, heading out of the door before Goku could reply or react.

---

Goku had to get back at the man good for the last attack. Sanzo was definitely in the lead, and Sanzo knew it too. Damnit, this was supposed to be Goku's game! And Sanzo seemed to be beating him at it. He struck back when Sanzo was at the cupboard, getting himself more cookies. Goku was thankful that the man was still wearing no shirt, as it gave him the advantage. He'd lost his own shirt, along with his self-consciousness somewhere along his room, and came up to stand behind the blond. Wrapping his arms around slender, pale shoulders, he felt the blond go rigid beneath him. "Eating my cookies, again?" Goku whispered in his ear, feeling Sanzo shudder. The shudder mirrored itself in Goku. _Gods…_

"Of course I am," Sanzo whispered in a low voice that meant he was moving in for a counter-attack. He slithered around in Goku's embrace, placing a cookie between his teeth and shooting the man a confident smirk.

Goku looked up at the man, mirroring his smile. The game had lost its competitive nature as the pair simply became engrossed in the joy of tormenting the other. At the same time they were tormenting themselves, as this purely seductive game was becoming too much fun to end. Because if either of them broke down, then the game would be lost forever. It was all about who had the stronger will.

Goku leaned up, wrapping his mouth around the other end of the cookie that Sanzo was still in the process of eating. Biting off a piece, Goku moved away to chew it. He smirked, before leaning up, and licking a crumb off the side of Sanzo's face. By the look on Sanzo's face, Goku knew he was in the lead again. Leering up at his companion, he moved so his lips were just millimeters from the blond's.

"Mm," he breathed. "Chocolate."

That one word seemed to break down whatever walls they'd set up. Sanzo allowed the box of cookies to fall to the ground, clattering loudly in the silent room as he gripped the young brunet by the neck, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. Goku was surprised, but completely melted at the touch. He didn't care that the game had ended anymore, because he had gotten the prize anyway. Sanzo kissed him deeply, before Goku pulled away, attempting to get one last taunt in.

"And here I thought you didn't like me," he whispered, eyes half-lidded with lust.

Sanzo growled. "I'm going to get in a lot of trouble for this," he whispered, fingers tangling in Goku's hair. "So you'd better fucking appreciate it."

They were kissing again, and Goku felt his mind explode. He had enough sense to tug the man away from the kitchen by the hem of his jeans, not breaking lip contact. They stumbled down the hallway, hands grazing over every piece of exposed flesh on the other's body. Eventually they managed to stumble into a room—his or Sanzo's, he didn't know or care—and tumbled onto the bed. Goku was incredibly glad he'd lost the shirt earlier because it would have only become a nuisance.

Sanzo's hands had already made their way inside his jeans as though attempting to feel without pulling them off. Eventually, Sanzo's hand actually made their way to the button, and Goku felt his heart stop. Sanzo pulled away suddenly, frowning down on his young charge. "You all right?" he whispered, his voice heady with desire and longing. He could apparently sense Goku's reluctance.

Goku looked up at the blond above him, and felt something within him surge. This was what he wanted. He was just a little surprised that it was finally happening so fast. Smiling softly to himself, he leaned up and pulled Sanzo into another kiss as his answer.

Sanzo's hands continued to pull of Goku's jeans, and the brunet could feel the fabric moving down over his ass and part-way down his thigh before it seemed Sanzo gave up, and simply went for his semi-hardening erection. Goku felt his face flush as his self-consciousness returned. He had never had anyone else see him naked before, and though Sanzo couldn't exactly see, it felt as though the blond was mapping out his every curve and muscle, and Goku couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and exposed. He was lying on his own bed, face flushed and pants pooling around his knees as a beautiful blond was about to…. _Oh. _

Goku let out a soft groan, falling back into the mattress and allowing his eyes to roll back in his head. All conscious thoughts left him in that instant as Sanzo leaned down and licked him again. He let out a groan of disapproval as Sanzo's hands left him, slowly kissing his way up his abdomen. Sanzo kissed his way all the way up the boy's neck, kissing the sides of his mouth before smirking. Even with his eyes closed Goku could feel the smirk against his own lips. Opening his eyes, he let out a soft growl.

"Problems?" Sanzo mocked.

Goku growled defiantly. "You fucking tease," Goku hissed, before grasping Sanzo by the hair and pulling him in for another earth-shattering kiss.

---

He never felt his level of exhaustion before. It felt like every muscle in his body had shut down, leaving him glued to the sheets. His arms had somehow wound themselves around Sanzo's waist, and his head was cradled against the man's shoulder. It was dark out, but Goku could clearly see Sanzo's illumined face shining in the dim light. Only a few minutes ago did the blond slip off into slumber, and Goku could feel sleep calling him as well, but not just yet. He wanted to admire the sleeping angel next to him for a little longer.

Smiling softly, he reached up with a quivering arm, wiping a blond strand from the man's eyes. Sanzo did not even stir, and Goku couldn't help but grin at the thought that he really wore Sanzo out. He knew he was in trouble, or he was _going_ to be, at least. Somewhere during their love-making, Goku had realized he'd fallen for Sanzo. Completely. He didn't want to be in love with Sanzo. Sanzo was nothing more then a selfish, spoiled, childish, stubborn asshole who thought nothing of others. Who would want to be in love with someone as crude and self-centered as Sanzo?

Simple, he would.

He probably knew that Sanzo didn't feel the same, and that this was probably a release from the last few days of the 'seduction game' but Goku didn't care. A part of him cared, sure, but if it meant he could be close to the blond he would play the seduction game all day every day. Goku studied the curve of the man's pale lips, and the way his bangs fell across his eyes and he smiled. Closing his eyes, Goku pulled the blond tighter to him as he let sleep claim him.

---

_Deep charcoal colored eyes stared at him through the darkness, accompanied by pale skin and light, almost white locks that swam through a pool of green liquid. Sanzo stared up at the creature before him as air bubbles floated up to the top of the tube. The child within it was writhing and clutching at its head, while attempting to gasp for air. Glancing to his side, Sanzo saw everybody. Homura stood not far from Shien and Zenon. Hazel stood beside him, and—surprisingly—Kougaiji was there too. Many more stood behind him but he didn't care to look. He knew each face off by heart, and knew they were all there, assembled to watch the one thing no one ever thought would happen. _

_Charcoal eyes snapped open, and the beast within the tube let out on long, echoing scream that pierced through every member assembled to watch it die. _

Sanzo abruptly awoke from the nightmare, bolting upright in bed as his eyes gazed out into the darkness. He hadn't expected anything else. Sanzo took a moment to catch his breath, assessing his surroundings. He could feel the mattress below him, and the blanket pooling around his waist. He could feel the sweat making its way down his brow and he swiped at it annoyingly. He could feel Goku's warm body next to him, and arm thrown lazily across his lap. The scream the beast had let out was still ringing in his ears, and Sanzo shuddered.

Sanzo took a shaky breath, entwining his fingers in his hair. He'd been expecting that dream. Practically waiting for it. It meant the worst, sealing his fate and forever binding him to those he hated. They needed him now, and they wouldn't stop looking until they found a new vessel, a new ARIYA. And out of all of them, Sanzo was the only one who could help them.

He needed to find Kougaiji as soon as physically possible. What they had all truly feared had come true.

ARIYA was dead.

"Fuck…"

* * *

**A/N: **Hello everyone. Sanzo's such an awesome character to write, I love him. This chapter was just a joy, and I'll bet you can see why. But there will be much angst coming up, for sure. I'm not sure how long this story is going to turn out, but by the looks of it, it might be seventeen or eighteen chapters. It might stretch depending on where the story takes me.

C&C appreciated.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Blind Devotion **

**Chapter Ten **

Surprisingly, Goku was up first that morning. With the sunlight shining down upon him, he yawned, stretching out his sore shoulder muscles. For some reason, everything felt sore. He wondered why before he took in his naked form, and the form of the man beside him. Blushing, he reached down, tracing the curve of Sanzo's jaw with his fingers, before pulling away as the man groaned. Deciding he should probably get up—as it looked way past sunrise—the boy scurried out of bed, and went to the closet to pull on some clothes. Goku was glad they had stumbled into his room last night, as explaining to Nataku why he and Sanzo had decided to have sex on his bed would have been a little more then awkward.

He headed down the hall, deciding to turn down the heat down a few notches as he moved out into the kitchen. The sun was already high in the sky, though it couldn't have been anywhere past eleven. Turning on the news, he muted it as he began to make breakfast, as he knew the blond was going to be rather cranky if something wasn't on the table when he woke up. Sanzo didn't appear like a morning person to Goku.

As he expected, the scent of food roused Sanzo from sleep and within ten minutes the blond stumbled out of the room, though it was more from sleepiness then his handicap. Sanzo had the decency to lazily pull on a pair of jeans before he stumbled out, but he hadn't even bothered to button them up. Sanzo yawned, attempting to blink the sleep from his eyes. His hair was still sleep-tousled, and stuck up slightly in the back. Goku couldn't ask for a more appealing sight.

Sanzo stumbled lazily across the room, stretching out his arms in an attempt to wake his muscles up. Frowning, the blond glanced towards the living room. "Is the TV on?" he asked bluntly.

Goku blinked at the random question. "Yeah, why?"

Sanzo shrugged. "No reason," he said as he approached the kitchen, leaning on the counter while blinking sleep from clouded eyes—was it just him or did they look more focused then yesterday? Goku watched him for a moment before flipping the eggs, deciding he must be imagining things. "What's for breakfast?" Sanzo asked, stiffening another yawn. "Mm, smells good."

Goku smiled softly, leaning over the counter and placing a lazy kiss on Sanzo's lips. The blond fumbled in an attempt to return the favor, but the action seemed delayed as his mind still muddled through sleep. Breaking the kiss, Goku allowed his eyes to search Sanzo's face. "Given up on rejecting me yet?" he asked softly.

Sanzo seemed to contemplate the question for a moment. "You're too fucking annoying to ignore," he said, though his tone held a tint of amusement. Resting his head in his hands, he frowned. "If you don't give me something to eat I'm going to starve to death."

Rolling his eyes, Goku turned back to the eggs which were just about done. Popping the toast, he placed it on a plate with eggs, hash browns and bacon before placing it in front of the blond, and handing him a fork. Sanzo all but dove into the meal set out beside him, not seeing to notice he was practically inhaling it. Goku simply laughed, leaning back against the counter as he enjoyed his own breakfast. He grabbed himself and Sanzo a can of pop, before downing the carbonated liquid.

A perfect breakfast.

As Sanzo finished, the man moved back towards the living room, falling into the sofa. As Goku began clearing away dishes, the doorbell rang. Figuring it was probably just Hakkai arriving to check up on them, he went towards it. He was surprised when Sanzo was suddenly at his side, grabbing his wrist with a dark look. Goku turned a confused gaze up towards the blond. "What do you think you're—"

"Shut up!" Sanzo hissed. "Just trust me, don't open the door!"

There was another soft knock, and Goku's brows furrowed at his roommate. He was about to head towards the door again when a soft voice froze him in place. "Sanzo? It's okay. You can open the door." It was Homura.

The pair froze at the familiar voice. Goku could practically hear Sanzo's fear. But, to his surprise, the blond carefully let him go, stepping up towards the door as if he was approaching a bomb. Resting his hand against the doorknob, he took a breath before opening it. Homura stood at the door, a solemn expression across his face instead of the cheery smile. Turning his hard, mismatched eyes on Sanzo, he glared. "We need to talk," he said coldly. "I'm sure you know about what."

Sanzo hesitated, before nodding and stepping aside to allow the man inside. His eyes trailed Homura's movements as he turned into the apartment, as though he could see the tall, dark-haired man. "How did you know I was here?" he asked in a low voice.

Homura smiled and waved a greeting towards Goku before turning back to Sanzo, his expression immediately hardening once again. "Don't bullshit me, Sanzo. I knew you were here from the very beginning." Homura turned, moving deeper into the apartment as though he owned it. Cautiously, Sanzo followed, leaving Goku to trail behind him.

"Then why didn't you do anything sooner?" Sanzo demanded, his voice gaining volume. It appeared Homura had been toying with him, and Sanzo wasn't taking too kindly to that.

"Because dragging you down meant dragging Goku down," Homura replied coldly, studying his fingers intently. "I didn't want to bring civilians into this."

"Bullshit!" Sanzo exclaimed, hands fisting with white-hot tension. "Stop fucking around and tell me why the hell you're here!"

Homura sighed, turning his eyes up to meet Sanzo's sightless pools. "ARIYA is dead."

"I know. I was there. Hell, even Kougaiji was there," Sanzo replied, eyes narrowing in the perfect look of annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Now shut up and get to the point."

"We're going to need a new vessel."

"Find someone else."

"I'm not here to take you in."

This caused Sanzo to pause, suddenly losing whatever control he thought he'd had on the situation. Brows furrowing together in confusion, he pressed his lips into a tight line. Goku could see the confusion and indecision marring his features. But it seemed to slip away into a mask of indifference. "What are you doing here, Homura?" he asked in a low voice, as though attempting to confirm some sort of suspicion.

Homura sighed through his nose, turning his head to the side. "I just wanted to give you a heads up on what's going on. Since ARIYA is dead, Xing is sparing no expense to find you. Now not only does he need the Maten scripture you carry, but he needs your eyes as well."

Sanzo snorted, leaning back against a nearby wall. "Lotta good that'll do him now that I'm blind."

Homura chose to ignore him. "All I'm saying is that Xing is looking for you. You've always been his favorite, you know." Sanzo snorted. "I just came to warn you and Goku too. They're pulling in reinforcements for this."

At this, Sanzo's head snapped up, eyes widening in pure disbelief. "Reinforcements?" he echoed, his tone riddled with fear and apprehension.

Homura nodded, crossing his arms. "What do you expect, Sanzo? This is the end all, be all." Standing, the man shot him a cocky smirk. "With this little stunt, you're putting an end to an entire race; an entire era, if you will. Xing is going to go all out, whether or not it kills him in the process."

Sanzo seemed to mull over the information, while Goku's eyes flickered between them. He hated the fact that he did not understand anything they were saying. And they were speaking English for Heaven's sake! "That's it!" Goku cried, throwing his hands up in the air and catching the attention of the other two men in the room. "I can't take this anymore! No more secrets! I need to know what the hell is going on before we take one step further!"

At his words, Homura's eyes snapped back to Sanzo. "You haven't told him?" his voice echoed Sanzo's own disbelief only a few moments ago.

Sanzo remained indifferent. "Of course. He's not involved."

"Not involved?" Homura cried in clear exasperation. "He's more involved then you think, you pompous airhead! Whose footfalls do you think Shien picked up at the river a few days ago?!" Sanzo flinched, though Goku could not say for what reason. "Shien knows what Goku looks like, and has reported him back to Xing! Every officer in the area is looking for him, because they know Goku will lead him right back to you!"

"Well that's not my fault now is it!?"

"Yes!"

Sanzo ran one hand through his hair, scowling and muttering curses under his breath. "We wouldn't have had this problem in the first place if you never reported us. We were doing just fine! But you had to betray us, and now Kougaiji's probably lying dead for all we know! D'abord, tout ce bordel est de ta faute! T'as ruiné ma vie!"

"Oh, la ferme." Homura snapped back in rapid French. "Ne commences pas à me mettre la faute de tous tes problèmes sur le dos. Ta vie s'est achevée le jour où tu as tourné le dos aux tiens."

"Je n'ai tourné le dos à personne."

" C'est de la bullshit, Sanzo. Tu nous as tous tourné le dos : Hazel, moi, Kougaiji. Le jour où tu es parti, amenant avec toi le Sûtra du Ciel Maléfique, est le jour où tu nous tous condamnés."

"Nous étions tous condamnés depuis le début."

"Mais nous n'étions jamais censés l'être ! On essayait juste de récupérer nos vies, Sanzo. Est-ce que c'est un crime ?!"

"Oui!"

By this point the two men in Goku's living room were screaming at each other in French, and Goku was afraid one of them might pull a punch. The last thing he needed was for one of them to get hurt, or break something in his living room. Fisting his hands at his sides, he took a step forwards, letting out a loud shout of, "HEY!" silencing the two men instantly. Turning enraged golden eyes between the two of them, he attempted to look as intimidating as possible, which was extremely difficult considering who he was trying to stare down. "Shut up and tell me what the hell is going on!"

Sanzo scowled, leaning back away from the pair as Homura sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Turning to Goku, he offered a simple smile. "All right Goku, we'll explain what happened. But… you might want to sit down."

Frowning, the young man fell back into a comfortable sofa, eyes dancing from Homura to Sanzo, who hung back and seemed extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation. Homura began anxiously pacing the length of the room, as though searching for some way to put everything into words. "Okay…" he drawled on, tapping his finger against his lips. "To start, why don't you guess what year Sanzo was born in?"

Goku frowned at the peculiar way to start things off, and Sanzo scowled from his place at the wall. "He doesn't need to know that," the man snapped bitterly.

Homura shot a frown in the blond's direction. "If he's going to know things, Sanzo, then he should know everything. Including what we are."

Goku felt his heart race. _'What'? _

Homura turned back to him, silently urging him to answer the question, and Goku took his time studying Sanzo's form. He couldn't be any older then his early twenties. "I don't know… 1983? 1984?"

Homura allowed an amused smirk catch his lips. "Close. Try, 1509."

Goku felt himself staring, open-mouthed at Homura before he had the sense to shut his mouth. Turning his widened eyes over to Sanzo, he watched as the blond didn't deny it; merely muttered curses under his breath about a certain dark-haired man in the room. Goku's brows furrowed, as a confused frown crossed his face. "1509…?" he breathed. "That would make him over… five hundred years old."

"Four hundred ninety-eight." Sanzo corrected bitterly.

Homura turned to the blond with a mock-smile. "Wow, Sanzo. You're getting old."

"Fuck off and die."

Goku was still shaking his head in disbelief, turning his eyes up towards Homura as the dark-haired man's expression hardened into seriousness once again. "I'll bet you're a little confused," at Homura's words, Goku merely nodded. Words didn't seem to want to form on his tongue at the moment. "Well, Sanzo and I, as well as the people we work with, are referred to as Drifters."

"Drifters?" Goku mumbled, turning back from Homura to Sanzo, as though expecting the blond to vehemently deny everything Homura was saying. Sanzo simply stayed silent throughout the whole thing.

"Yes, Drifters. Like humans, but with subtle differences. First off, Drifters have an abnormally long lifespan. They're not immortal, but seem like it. They can live up from eight hundred to two thousand years. Plus, each Drifter is born with a different talent, like how each human is born with a different eye color. It's like a second nature to them. Some of us can conjure fire, or others can resurrect the dead. Each one is different."

Goku frowned softly. "So, what's your talent?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Homura smiled cockily, as though enjoying the thought of talking about himself. "I can enter people's dreams, and twist them to suit my own needs." He then smirked, toying with the leather gloves on his hands. "And some thing I like to call the shock touch." Before Goku could even question what on earth a 'shock touch' was, Homura pulled off his glove, reaching over towards a lamp and gently placing his bare fingers to the bulb. As soon as his fingers touched the glass, it exploded in a mass of sparks and glass. Goku gave a yelp of surprise, and jumped back, at the same time that Sanzo flinched at unwanted memories.

Homura just smiled. "Oops, don't know my own strength," he said with faux sheepishness, though made no move to clean it up. Instead, he pulled on his glove, turning back to the young brunet who was starting to realize what kind of mess he'd landed himself in. "And if you're wondering, Blondie over there—"

"I see things," Sanzo said curtly, cutting off Homura with a soft growl. "Or, at least I used to."

Homura hardly took note of Sanzo's bitterness as he continued. "Anyway, a couple thousand Drifters assembled near the end of the Renaissance, in about the late sixteen hundreds. I was there, along with Sanzo himself." Said blond snorted. "We were brought together by a man named Xing, who said that the humans were taking over the planet, and something had to be done before the Drifters went extinct."

"Extinct?" Goku echoed, puzzlement dawning on his features. "What do you mean?"

Homura frowned softly. "It's like what the humans are doing to animals. They're taking up space, flushing them out of their homes and killing them. Like animals, the Drifters are being pushed out of existence, and so Xing decided that we were to summon a beast to rectify this."

"How…?"

"By resurrecting the Drifters, of course," Homura replied with a smug smile, turning his attention towards the brunet who still seemed uncertain of Homura's answer.

Sensing his confusion, Sanzo spoke up. "It's meant to destroy the human race."

"Precisely what I said," Homura replied cheerfully, picking up his pacing once again.

Goku frowned softly, and wanted to say something to defend himself, and his race, but decided it was wise to keep quiet. He wasn't exactly sure what Homura would do in the situation, and Goku wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of the 'shock touch.' He watched the man pace his living room, a smile lighting his features as though he was enjoying this. "So, in the late nineteen hundreds, we created a vessel for the beast we were to summon. It died a long time ago, and we needed a host body for it to be able to wreak havoc. After much trial and error, we created a body that could withstand the beast we were to summon, and it survived. It was codenamed, ARIYA.

"But, in the late 1960's, Sanzo was having second thoughts." His critical gaze snapped back to gaze at Sanzo, before a sigh escaped him. "He started saying that what we were doing was no better then the humans, and discreetly, he gathered an inside rebellion. Kougaiji was a co-captain of his."

"And a strong leader," Sanzo snapped back. "He didn't deserve what you did to him."

Homura pursed his lips, as though reluctant to continue the story. But Goku found himself on the edge of his seat, gripping the armchairs with white-knuckled tension. His eyes flickered from Homura to Sanzo, wondering who would continue where Homura left off. "Well?" he exclaimed when he could no longer take the tension. "What happened?"

Sanzo growled softly under his breath. "Homura joined us," the blond remarked sourly. "But then he was having second thoughts, so to ease his indecision, he ratted us out to Xing. I was arrested and tortured, and luckily Kougaiji ran off. Unfortunately, he's doing worse then I am. The guilt has eaten away at him and he's nothing but a shell of a man."

"It wasn't easy for me either," Homura shouted back, temper flaring at the seemingly emotional events displayed so crudely. "It was a difficult time and for the last fucking time I didn't betray you on purpose!"

"Tu voulais juste nous voir échoués, avoues-le!"

"Espèce de salaud égocentrique!"

At the scent of a fight, Goku sprung to his feet, pushing Sanzo away from Homura as he shot each a dark look. "Shut up and stop fighting!" Goku yelled. He managed to silence the pair and he took a calming breath, not ready to release Sanzo as he knew the furious blond would strike. "Look, this Xing guy wants a new vessel right?" Homura nodded. "Then no worries right? It took him a couple hundred years to make the old one."

Homura growled. "Not exactly. Xing already has a new vessel in sight, and said it was coming along nicely. When ARIYA died he didn't even seem to care because he said the new vessel was even stronger."

"Then we find the new vessel and kill it, right?" Goku asked, turning from Sanzo to Homura once again, hoping he was on the right track.

Sanzo snorted, pulling away to fall into the couch. He spread across it languidly, smirking. "No need. We can just sit back and watch." Sensing Goku's confused expression, he continued, "Xing can't resurrect the beast without all five Heaven and Earth scriptures. And in my possession I hold the Maten scripture. He won't be able to do a damn thing until he gets it back. So if I stay in hiding then time will pass and all the Drifters will die. No struggle on my part needed."

"You fucking bastard!" Homura shouted, and Goku feared another fight would start. "You know you'd die too!"

"Haven't you ever read any decent plays, Homura?" Sanzo asked with a cocky smirk. "All heroes die at the end."

Goku's fearful eyes flickered from Homura to Sanzo, suddenly understanding the implications of bringing down the people who Sanzo was running from. He suddenly wanted to keep Sanzo all to himself, hide him away forever and make sure that Xing could never get his hands on him. The last thing Goku wanted was for Sanzo to die. Homura seemed to have calmed down to his right, as the man took a deep breath, combing his fingers through his hair in an attempt to sooth himself. "Look," he said calmly, opening his kaleidoscope eyes to gaze into Sanzo's sightless pools. "I'm just here to give you a warning. I'm not going to turn you in, but if someone else finds you I will do nothing to hide you. And when I see you again Sanzo, I will kill you with my own two hands."

"By that time Homura, I'll have my sight back. And I'll be more then willing to kick your sorry ass."

Homura frowned deeply, shaking his head and giving Goku a polite smile. Homura then turned, and began to head towards the door. Out of curtsey, Goku followed him to the door. Homura opened the front door, pausing as a thought occurred to him. "Goku…" he said softly, turning back to the young brunet, who looked up at him curiously. "What was your father's name…?"

Frowning at the peculiar question, Goku answered, "Victor." His eyes traveling down the doorframe, taking in all the nooks and crannies. "His name was Victor."

Homura mulled over the information before nodding in thanks. "I see," he said, before opening the door and stepping out into the hallways. "Goodbye, Goku."

"See ya, Homura," Goku said quietly, before slowly turning and closing the door. He allowed his back to rest against the wood for a moment, limbs shaking. All that information was hard to swallow all at once, and Goku found himself mentally exhausted. Slowly, he walked back into the living room, finding Sanzo on the couch, running his fingers through his hair and covering his hands with his face. Goku could feel a pang of sympathy for the older man, and silently crossed the room, hoping to offer comfort in any way he could.

Crawling on the couch next to the blond, he ran his hands down Sanzo's bare arms. Sanzo didn't even flinch. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Sanzo replied softly, pulling his hands away from his face. "My eyes just hurt."

Sighing softly, Goku wrapped his arms around the blond's waist, falling into the embrace. He needed comfort just as much as he needed to give it. Sanzo simply wrapped his arms around the brunet, falling back into the sofa. The pair lay there for a moment, Goku's head rested over Sanzo's chest, and listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat. There was so much he wanted to say, but at the same time he could think of nothing _to_ say. So he stayed quiet. Offering relief just by being there, the same thing Sanzo was presently doing. Goku closed his eyes, allowing muddled thoughts to drift away as he simply lay there, listening. There was too much in his mind that needed to be thought over and processed, but at the moment he just wanted to push it away. He wanted to enjoy this moment without having to think about Drifters or vessels or scriptures or anything. He was here, with Sanzo, in this perfectly silent room and that was all that mattered.

Wiggling up, Goku brushed Sanzo's bangs out of the way, allowing a slight smile to flicker across his lips. Sanzo stayed impassive, as expected, but Goku didn't let that bother him as he leaned down and captured Sanzo's lips in a soft kiss.

Thoughts and emotions all melted together at room temperature, draining away with the problems outside. Right then, in that moment, there was noting but perfection.

A perfect euphoria.

* * *

**A/N: **Horray! Ten chapters! (throws confetti) This chapter holds a lot of answers, and a lot of new questions. It's from here that the story speeds up about ten notches, and things get angsty and dramatic and exciting. Also, there are hints in this chapter, and if anyone can find them, then I'll give you a cookie.

C&C appreciated.

Translations: (As they appear)

"…This entire mess is your fault in the first place! You ruined my life!"

"Oh shut up." "Don't start blaming all your problems on me. Your life ended the day you turned your back on your own people."

"I turned my back on no one."

"Don't pull bullshit, Sanzo. You turned your back on everyone. Hazel, me, Kougaiji. The day you left with the Maten scripture was the day you doomed us all."

"We were all doomed from the start."

"We were never supposed to be! We're trying to reclaim our lives, Sanzo, is that a crime!?"

"Yes!"

"Admit it, you just wanted to se us fall!"

"You self-centered bastard!"


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Blind Devotion**

**Chapter Eleven**

As swimming consciousness began to return to him, the first thing he noticed was the light beating on the back of his eyelids.

As his eyes began to open, he'd been stunned into silence as sight came flooding back to him. He could see the white ceiling above him, dotted with the lighting fixtures. After managing to understand exactly what he was seeing, he turned his head to the side, taking in the living room around him. The wooden coffee table in front of him, the TV set up on the stand and the fireplace next to that. Everything was clear, in color, and there. His sight was back, save for the blurred edges that trailed off into grey smudges. Sanzo didn't care because the majority of his sight was back.

He jumped off the couch a little too quickly, upsetting the brunet who had fallen asleep against him. Goku snored softly, but otherwise did not wake as Sanzo took in a moment to inspect the outside world around Goku's apartment. He could spot a few familiar landscapes, but more importantly the nearby river which was covered in crisp, white snow.

For a moment Sanzo could only stare, unable to believe that after so long he was able to see. As common sense returned to him, he turned back towards Goku, taking in the young boy who had wormed a place into his life. His smile faded. Brown hair that was tousled with sleep, a small, lithe frame covered in shorts and a t-shirt, and bronzed skin that seemed to glow with the morning sunlight.

But as Sanzo looked beyond that, he could feel horror and nausea turning in the pit of his stomach. He felt sure he was going to be sick.

Fuck, Xing was one twisted son of a bitch.

He couldn't stay. The longer he stayed the closer the rest of them got. Besides, he wasn't completely sure he could trust Homura's word. He'd outstayed his welcome, and he needed to _go_.

He turned towards the bedroom Goku had allowed him to stay in, the blurry and grayed images from the last few days finally coming into color and focus. He followed his instincts, and found the room with ease. He began to collect the little things he had, and would need, all the while cursing and throwing things about. He couldn't find anything! He was taking too damn long! The commotion woke the brunet sleeping on the couch, and he slowly sat up, blinking sleep from his eyes as he took in the room down the hall.

Goku lazily dragged his feet as he stopped in the doorframe, finding Sanzo throwing things about while cursing all the way. Yawning again, he smiled when Sanzo turned to him. "Whatcha lookin' for, beautiful?" he asked sluggishly. Goku stepped forwards, wrapping his arms around the blond's shoulders and resting his head against them, as though he could fall asleep on him.

Rough hands shoved him away, before returning to the task of scouring the room. "Not now, Goku. I have to leave."

Goku stumbled back, sleep rapidly slipping away from him as he stared at the blond in front of him. "What… do you mean?" he asked, shakily. "Sanzo, you can't go anywhere."

"Look, I just have to go. Stay here. Lie low. Don't look for me." Sanzo snapped quickly, grabbing the scripture and shoving it into his pocket before turning for the door. Goku was quick to follow him.

"I'm not going to let you just leave Sanzo! I mean you're still—" Goku's sentence abruptly stopped as Sanzo turned to face him, staring him down with clear pools of violet. Goku found himself trapped, and for the first time he realized Sanzo's eyes were back in focus. "You can see…" The realization hit him like a brick, one he was unsure if he welcomed or not.

As his initial shock wore off, Goku found boiling anger replacing it. "You mean you… how long have you been lying to me, Sanzo? How long have you been able to see?!"

Sanzo looked guilty for a moment, his gaze trailing off towards the ground in thought. Images of familiar grey splotches clouded his memory, recalling his confusion and denial when they'd begun to appear. "A few days now, I guess."

"A few days?" Goku exploded, throwing his hands up in the air. "Were you ever thinking of telling me!?"

Sanzo snarled, glaring back at him. "I didn't know I could see, Goku! It was all just grey blobs and I was just thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me, so don't you dare start saying that I'm a liar of any sort!" Sanzo yelled back, causing Goku's eyes to widen slightly as he took a step back. Sanzo could be ferocious when he wanted to be, especially with a glare that could harden and pierce right through your soul.

Was it masochistic for Goku to want to kiss him breathless for it?

But Sanzo had already turned away from him, and as Goku blinked out of his daze, he found the blond pulling on the tattered jacket Goku had found him in. Crossing the room, Goku gripped his arm, attempting to hold him back. He knew it was probably better if Sanzo kept running, but damnit Goku couldn't stand to be left alone again! Call it selfish, call it abandonment but Goku wouldn't be able to stand it if Sanzo left him. The pain of just thinking about it was almost unbearable.

"Please," Goku croaked out, hiding his face beneath his bangs in embarrassment. He could only imagine a purely desperate look on his face and despite how much Goku loved Sanzo he didn't want him to see him like that. "Don't leave me."

Suddenly, voices were heard outside the door, and Sanzo cursed. He could hear Homura and Zenon's voices, along with a few he didn't recognize. Probably from the back up forces from France. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the nearby coat rack, sticking it between the door and the wall. Someone tried to open the door, and he heard a curse when the door refused to open.

Sanzo gripped Goku's shoulders, feeling sudden panic build inside him. He refused to go back. Never again, damnit! "Goku," he said, causing the boy to flinch. "Is there any other way out of here?!"

Goku looked shaken. "Uh... the fire escape!" he said suddenly. The two bolted towards it, Goku taking the lead as Sanzo watched the door wearily. They were quickly out the window as the door behind them opened with a bang. Goku didn't even take note of the cold air or the snow beneath his feet as he nervously glanced behind him. Goku began down the ladder and Sanzo growled, unable to wait any longer. He grabbed the railing with both hands, and jumped over the side. Goku watched him fall the two stories, horror momentarily crossing his features. However Sanzo landed perfectly, with no sign of pain or injury. Then he remembered Sanzo wasn't exactly human.

"Jump!" Sanzo screamed at him. Unable to doubt the blond, Goku let go of the ladder, jumping from the fire escape and landing right in Sanzo's arms. He was unable to enjoy the moment, as a second later Homura stuck his head out the window, looking down at them. Sanzo grabbed his hand, turning and bolting down a nearby alley. Goku was glad the man grabbed his hand; otherwise he was sure he would've lost the blond. Sanzo was running so fast, jumping over garbage cans or other mindless objects lying on the ground. Goku was tripping over his feet, hissing at the bitterly cold snow. He wished he'd had enough time to grab his shoes before they had to leave.

Sparing a glance over his shoulder, he realized they weren't being followed. Or at least, it didn't _look_ like they were being followed.

"Sanzo!" Goku cried, feeling his lungs burning. How long had they been running through twisted back alleys? "Where are we going?"

"Kougaiji's." The blond replied with a hint of a smile.

---

It felt like forever until they finally reached a backwards little bar that looked as though it was connected to a small house. They wandered inside, surprised to find the place empty, save for two people. It was a small bar, holding only a few tables and was badly lit, but there was liquor behind the counter and soft music playing. A young woman with purple hair dashed over to them as they entered, looking frantic as she took the pair in.

Looking Sanzo over, her features softened into compassion and relief. "Oh Sanzo, look at you," she breathed. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm fine Yaone. How's he been?" Sanzo was clearly referring to the figure slumped over the bar table, long red hair sprawled down his back as an untouched drink sat in front of him. He seemed oblivious to the conversation despite the fact that they were speaking loud enough for him to hear.

Yaone sighed, running her fingers over her skirt in an attempt to smooth out the wrinkles. She looked drained, tired from years of caring for someone who'd clearly given up. "Not good, Sanzo. He hasn't eaten in two days. He doesn't sleep or drink or do anything anymore! It's worse then before. He just sits there. I'm afraid he's not going to snap out of it this time." Her crimson eyes brimmed with tears, and she tried to blink them away, though despite her attempts a few stray tears fell.

Sanzo merely brushed by her, heading up towards the bar and taking a seat next to the redhead. He motioned for Goku to come forwards, and the brunet stepped up to meet them. "Kougaiji," Sanzo said in a soft, commanding voice. "Allez, reprends-toi. Au moins assez longtemps pour que tu puisses rencontrer Goku. C'est le _fils de Victor_."

Goku hated it when Sanzo spoke French, feeling as though there was a secret they were keeping from him. He recognized his father's name, but decided he misheard the two men. Kougaiji sat up, staring at Sanzo with wide indigo eyes before they trained back on Goku. They studied him for a moment, looking him up and down before his expression softened. Turning back to the blond, it almost seemed like Kougaiji would begin to cry. "Oh Sanzo…" he breathed, his voice raspy and unused. "Je n'ai même pas tes yeux et, même moi, peux le voir. Comment fais-tu pour vivre ainsi?"

Sanzo shrugged, and Goku found both their eyes on him. He frowned, his face flushing under the close scrutiny. "Je ne sais vraiment pas. Je le fais, c'est tout."

Growing impatient with the pair that seemed to enjoy flaunting their language in front of him, Goku crossed his arms and glared at them. "If you're going to talk right in front of me, you could at least talk in a language I can understand!"

Sanzo merely smirked, and Kougaiji stood. "You two can stay here for a while," he said, calmly switching languages as he turned towards Yaone, who was trying to keep her tears at bay. "I'll set up a barrier. It won't be much, but it'll keep us out of sight for a while." Laughing, Kougaiji added, "Just don't dream."

Sanzo laughed as well, though it was bitter, sarcastic laughter. "Trust me, Kou; I've been trying not to dream for the past forty years."

Kougaiji laughed before he disappeared through the front door. As soon as he was gone, Sanzo found Yaone flung across his chest, hugging him as she cried. "Thank you, Sanzo!" Sanzo was rigid and unresponsive, and Goku could only grin with the thought that he was the only one that was allowed to get close to Sanzo. Pulling away, Yaone attempted to wipe her tears. "You got him to move, you got him to smile, Sanzo! I can't begin to thank you enough, I'm just so…" she broke out into another soft sob, attempting to keep her tears back.

Goku eyed Sanzo, finding it adorable that he was completely uncomfortable and unsure in his position. Goku attempted to keep it from his face, knowing that Sanzo would hit him otherwise. "I didn't do anything," Sanzo assured her, turning to shoot him a cocky smirk. "Thank the monkey."

Goku's brows furrowed in confusion as Yaone turned to look at him, smiling as tears filled her eyes. "Yes. He looked just like his father, doesn't he?" Yaone asked, turning back towards Sanzo. "I do miss him."

"I know," Sanzo said. Yaone then turned back towards the bar, cleaning up the untouched drink Kougaiji had in front of him.

As Sanzo turned back to him with violet pools flickering with amusement, Goku's brows drew together in annoyance. "Do you mind telling me why it seems like everybody here knows my father?!" he snapped a little too loudly as he stomped his foot. He probably looked just like a child, but Goku found often he acted like a child when there was no other way to express his frustration. He hated himself for it.

Sanzo's expression smoothed out into indifference spiked with exasperation. "I'll tell you later," Sanzo said.

"No!" Goku replied back stubbornly, eyes burning bright as he raised himself onto his toes, attempting to look the man in the eye. "I want to know now."

Sanzo sighed, glancing towards the door and towards Yaone, before trailing back towards him. Goku felt every muscle in his body tense, fully willing to fight over this. Finally Sanzo's eyes closed, his lips pressing tightly together. "Fine. I'll tell you what you want to know."

---

Only a few minutes later were Goku and Sanzo down the hall in a room. Goku took the seat on the old bed that Yaone offered to let him use for the night. Turning his attention up towards Sanzo, he watched as the blond paced the room, brows drawn together in irritation, attempting to find someplace to start. Goku could see the tension in the man's muscles and he suddenly wished he could massage away the tension with his fingers. Smirking softly, he leaned back on the bed and watched as Sanzo paced the length of the small room.

"Back, about twenty years ago, Kougaiji and I… were in the middle of our rebellion. And so, we got some outside help…from your father and your mother. I met them at a bar one night after I'd been injured in a scuffle. They were… surprisingly willing to help."

Goku's eyes widened. "My parents were part of your rebellion? But… how could… my father was a horrible person!" Goku cried. "How could you have worked with him?"

Sanzo's eyes snapped over to him, darkening as a soft growl formed in his throat. "A horrible person? Your father was a great man! But…" his eyes lost their sudden intensity, and he turned away, frowning to hide his discomfort. "Things happened. Things changed, Goku. After things started to fall apart, I stayed with your parents for a few months," a smirk caught on Sanzo's lips. "I must say Goku, you were cute in diapers."

Goku's entire face suddenly flushed, and he thought he must've looked like a cherry. Sanzo saw him as a baby? This was humiliating! Attempting to swallow his embarrassment, he turned his eyes up to Sanzo's amused gaze. "But then, things changed. When Xing found out about them, I had to leave, and your parents moved outside the city in an attempt to hide," Sanzo explained, drawing his lips together into a thin line. "They worked fairly well, for humans. Gathering information, supplies—hell, your father even managed to take down three Drifters, which was surprising in itself."

Through images of his parents in their younger days, something within his mind clicked. "Wait a minute, did this have anything do to with my father's insanity and my mother's depression?"

A ringing silence followed, and when Sanzo hesitated in answering him Goku felt a knot of fear settle in the pit of his stomach. He watched as Sanzo's pacing slowed, before it stopped all together. Sanzo looked towards the ground, blond locks dancing in front of violet eyes as he thought up an answer. Finally, the man hung his head, guilt evident on his features. "I'm sorry Goku," he whispered, his voice soft in the silent room. "They were only human."

Goku's eyes widened at his words, his mouth slightly agape as he took in the blond's regretful form. All coherent thought left him as shock took its toll. He could only sit on the bed, numb as his eyes widened. He recalled any and every memory of his parents he could scrounge up, attempting to recall the point in which his parents began to lose their minds.

He could feel tears prick at his eyes but he swore not to let them fall. Not in front of Sanzo. He was over this, could handle this new information on his parent's death, however just knowing that it wasn't some random psychological disorder that made his parents go insane added new pain to old wounds. To think there was a specific moment, a person, a group to blame made anger and sadness well up inside him.

Then his cell phone rang.

Goku had completely forgotten about the thing. Blinking, he attempted to feel around for it, before realizing he was still in his shirt and boxers. No pockets. Blinking, he looked up as Sanzo outstretched the phone to him. "I thought we'd need it," was all he offered for explanation. Goku thanked him, before taking the phone and placing it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Goku?" The brunet was startled to hear Nataku's frightful voice on the other end of the phone. He sounded panicked, and Goku could hear the sounds of people in the background. "For Christ's sake are you all right!?"

"I'm fine," Goku said in the most even voice he could manage, placing his head in his hands. "Just a… bad day."

Nataku sighed on the other end of the phone. "I was so worried. I got a call from this guy named Xing and he said he was your new roommate, and he said that you were in all this trouble and I needed to come home."

"Xing…" Goku echoed, eyes narrowing in thought, before it abruptly hit him. Eyes wide, he sat up sharply. "Nataku, where are you now?"

"At the airport. I just called a taxi to take me home, but it'll be another half an hour. Why? What's going on, Goku?" He was beginning to sound frightened again, and Goku wasn't sure what he could tell the man without scaring him, or spiking doubt.

In the most stable tone he could, Goku said, "Nataku, I'm fine. We're just in some trouble. You need to get on the plane, and go back to France—wait, no, don't go to France. Go to Germany or to Spain and have fun, okay? Just leave. _And leave now_."

Nataku sounded aggravated and fearful as he continued, "Goku. I want answers right now—wait—hey! What do…?" There was sudden shouting on the end of the phone, though Goku could not make out the words, and a clatter as the cell phone was dropped. Goku could no longer hear Nataku's voice.

"Nataku?" Goku cried, feeling horror gripping at his heart so hard it was difficult to breathe. "Nataku? Answer me! Are you okay?"

The line clicked dead.

Goku dropped the phone as he sprung to his feet, eyes wide as he gripped Sanzo's tattered jacket. "Oh god Sanzo! We have to go after them! We have to do something, they got Nataku! And I—"

"Calm down!" Sanzo yelled when Goku began to hyperventilate, eyes swimming with tears. "We can't do anything right now!"

"What do you mean we can't do anything?!" Goku screamed back, completely frantic. Sanzo gripped his shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. "I'm not going to leave my best friend with them to die! We have to help him, Sanzo!"

There was a sudden crash from the front of the bar and a scream with a tone that sounded eerily similar to Yaone's voice ring through. Sanzo looked grim as the hold on his shoulders grew tight.

"I mean they've already found us."

* * *

Translations: (as they appear)

"I want you to snap out of it. At least long enough to meet Goku. He's _Victor's son_."

"I don't even have your eyes and I can see it. How can you live with that?"

"I don't know, really. I just do."

C&C appreciated.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Blind Devotion **

**Chapter Twelve**

The scream that sounded from the front of the bar was enough to force both men into a run. The door was thrown open by Sanzo and they ran down the hall to the front, where they spotted Yaone crumpled against a nearby wall, bleeding and unconscious, while Kougaiji attempted to keep back Homura's flame sword. It crushed down against what looked like a staff of concentrated fire. Flame and flame crashed and crackled against each other before the pair pulled apart. Kougaiji turned to glance over his shoulder, growling and cursing when he spotted Goku and Sanzo.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Kougaiji roared, his indigo eyes blazed in tune with the concentrated flames in his hand. "Get him the hell out of here!"

"Not on your life!" Sanzo yelled back, bursting forwards as he threw his hand up in the air. Goku had to blink, relaying the scene in his mind before he realized Sanzo _pulled_ a gun from the air. A real, metal gun out of nothing. What else could these Drifters do?

Along with Homura, Zenon and Shien stood not far away, and a young blue haired man who seemed to be resurrecting monsters. The creatures he was summoning looked like dogs, though were far bigger and far fiercer. Where their paws touched the wood of the floor, it seemed to burn holes and Goku could only shudder at the feeling of their fur against his skin. Drool dripped from their fangs as their crimson eyes focused not on Sanzo or Kougaiji, but him.

Goku could feel fear build inside of him to the point where he was trembling. He couldn't move or speak; all he could do was stare into the eyes of the large dog-like creature and shiver. The beast did not yet strike, but Goku could felt as though it were devouring him anyway. His mind screamed for him to move but somehow his body refused to act on the order. Goku finally understood true terror.

He couldn't even scream when the beast took a step towards him, then another, before it lunged.

The next second Goku found himself sprawled out backwards along the wooden floor, splinters from broken chairs biting into his back. Though it was not the beast who had shoved him, but Sanzo. The blond had taken his spot, aiming his gun up towards the creature and pulling the trigger. Instead of a bullet a bright flash of light shot out towards the beast. It screamed in agony as the light buried within its chest and was sent spiraling backwards into the wall. The heavy creature hit the ground, writhing and screaming before it went still and began to melt into a puddle of ooze.

Sanzo turned to him, eyes flaring with anger. "Goku, get out of here. I won't be able to protect you all the time."

_Protect me…?_

It was true that the creatures before him were frightening, but by no means did Goku need to be protected. He glared as Sanzo turned back towards the creature once more. Fright replaced with anger, Goku stood. He turned towards a broom set up in a corner and snapped the end off with only minimal effort. He handled it expertly, as though he trained with a Bo all his life. He turned back towards the creatures, and with a scream he tore out into battle. Kougaiji, who was wrapped up with Zenon and Shien, turned towards him and cursed. Sanzo turned away from the blue haired man he was fighting and cried out his name. Homura looked up in time to watch the broom handle sailing towards him.

Without any thought Homura raised his arm, stopping the blow. He smiled cockily, but before he could get in a remark Goku aimed a kick towards him. Growing frustrated, Homura grabbed his leg and squeezed, tearing a scream from Goku's throat.

"Stay out of the way until we need you," Homura told him coldly, throwing Goku away from him as though he were nothing but a limp doll. Goku crashed back against a wall, his head cracking against hard wood and his vision swimming. As though to make sure he didn't attempt to run away, one of the dog-like creatures approached him, pinning him to the floor with one of its massive paws. Goku screamed again when the touch began to burn slowly through his flesh. Biting his tongue, Goku could only whimper softly, not having the strength to throw it off of him.

Managing to nail a shot through the blue-haired man's hand, Sanzo turned away from him. Sanzo cursed and turned back towards Goku before his gun was knocked from his hand. Turning back to Homura, who stood grinning at him, he soon found a fist crossing his face sending him spiraling back into the wooden floor. Cursing, he could sense the oncoming demon-dog, and quickly flipped to his feet to avoid the oncoming attack. Unfortunately, he was not quick enough as one of the dogs bit down hard on his forearm, ripping muscles and tendons. Blood splattered everywhere and the white of Sanzo's bone was plainly visible.

Sanzo stumbled into a wall, hissing and clutching his arm as his face paled. From his awkward position on the floor Goku could see the perspiration dabbing Sanzo's brow, and the pained look etched into his features. Blood dripped all down the front of his shirt where his arm was pressed tightly to his chest. Sanzo was hissing through grit teeth, attempting to regain his composure as Homura and the dogs began to close in on him. The blue-haired man from the corner seemed to be fairly annoyed with the bullet hole in his hand, and went to help.

Kougaiji was being forcefully held back. This wasn't good. Goku's mind was fogged but he knew that if he didn't do something then Sanzo was going to die.

It didn't even feel like he was moving when he ripped himself from of the dog's grip. There was some tearing and burning but the pain didn't even register in Goku's mind as he charged Homura. All he could see was a sea of red framing his target as he lunged. He assumed he was screaming as Homura turned, but the Drifter could do nothing to stop Goku's punch. It hit him smartly across the face, sending the dark haired man sprawled across the floor. Everyone in the room was stunned into silence that the teenager could take Homura down with a single punch.

Goku wasn't sure what it was, but he impaled something through the dog that was approaching Sanzo's bloodied form. He then turned to the blue eyed man, kicking him soundly to the face before grasping his neck in his hands and beating his head into the wall until he was sure the man was unconscious.

Homura came up behind him, sword at ready before slashing down towards him. Goku saw around it and was quick to move to the side. He lunged out towards the Drifter, slamming him to the ground and savagely beating him. He wasn't sure how long or how hard, all Goku knew was that it was fun. At some point he began laughing, though he knew not when.

A second later Goku found himself flipped around as a sound smack was delivered to his face. His daze beginning to wear away, he wondered what had happened, before his eyes focused on Sanzo's angry gaze directed towards him. Sanzo was gripping him by the shoulders, shaking him.

"Goku! Calm down! I'm _fine!_"

Goku wanted to open his mouth and say he wasn't fine. He saw from the other side of the room as the dog ripped open Sanzo's arm. But, when Goku's gaze turned down towards Sanzo's arm, he found there was no wound. The blood that had stained his clothes had disappeared as well. It looked like Sanzo had never been attacked in the first place. Goku opened his mouth to ask what on earth was going on, before he felt his body sag. He went completely limp in Sanzo's arms, eyes half lidded as his body demanded sleep, though his mind still raged.

He wanted to get up and do something but it felt as though his body had decided he couldn't even speak, let along stand. He only watched as Sanzo lifted him up in his arms, carrying him back towards the door they appeared from. He then paused, and turned back towards Kougaiji, who was doing an effective job of keeping all four of their enemies back.

"Don't do anything stupid, Kougaiji!" Sanzo called back, irritation blanketing obvious concern.

Kougaiji turned and shot him a glance out of the corner of his eye. "Me, do something stupid?" he asked sarcastically, before tossing his arm towards the side, "Never." A large ball of shot out of Kougaiji's hand, heading straight towards the bar which held all the liquor. As soon as it came in contact with the alcohol, it exploded in a mass of fire.

"Now get the hell out of here!!"

Sanzo didn't hesitate. He turned, bolting out the hall and towards the back door. The heat from the flames was licking at their heels as they ran. Sanzo made great time slithering down the back alleyways and making his way as far away from the bar as possible. When it seemed they were finally free from the building's sight, a large explosion rocked the land. Turning back over, Goku could only gape through lazy eyes at the large pillar of smoke and ash towering up from where the bar used to stand. Goku managed to flex his fingers around Sanzo's sleeve as tears worked their wayinto his eyes. Whether it was because of the smoke or Kougaiji's demise he wasn't sure.

"Sanzo…" Goku breathed, finding his mouth numb but workable. "We have to go back… Kougaiji's…"

"Fine." Sanzo said curtly, as he turned and began to continue away from the bar. Goku stayed silent as Sanzo continued to run, slowly working the feeling back into his muscles.

They had been running for over fifteen minutes before Sanzo finally stopped. He placed Goku down, stating that he needed a break and leaned back against the wall. Sweat dotted Sanzo's brow as he took a moment to catch his breath. Goku stood wobbly, attempting to glare the other man down.

"Why did we leave, Sanzo?" he asked bitterly, his mouth still numb. "We left Kougaiji alone, and he could be dead now!"

"Shut up," Sanzo grated out through parched lips.

"Stop avoiding it, Sanzo!" Goku growled as he placed a hand on the wall for support. "You're running from everything!

"Shut up!" Sanzo barked, his tone becoming more forceful.

"No you shut up! You're going to abandon your friends, your home, everything! You're running, Sanzo! You have to stand up for the things you want! A rebellion isn't running from the enemy, but standing up and triumphing over what is clearly wrong," Goku's voice was only gaining volume as he took a step towards the blond. "We have to go back and fight Sanzo, not just—"

"Everybody's dead, Goku!" Sanzo screamed suddenly, turning flaming violet eyes towards him. Goku froze in his tracks, feeling that heated gaze practically eating away at him. "We tried to fight. We fought for years, and in the end, everybody died," Sanzo voice clouded with some type of emotion, though Goku could not say what. Turning his attention back towards the ground, frowning irritably he mumbled, "I have nothing to do but run."

Goku reached out, placing a hand on his arm and was surprised when Sanzo didn't flinch away from his touch. Offering a tired smile, Goku tried to catch his lover's eyes but failed. "That's why they won't be expecting it," Goku said softly. "We go in for a counter attack, and nail 'em where it hurts."

Sanzo's eyes continued to study the ground as he placed his support against the wall. It seemed as though the thoughts in his head were so crushing they would have pushed him to the ground if not for the support of the wall. Goku watched the way liquid velvet pools hid beneath strands of sunlight and he smiled slightly, unable to hold back his joy with simply being with the man, despite their situation. It felt like forever until Sanzo slowly turned his eyes up to meet Goku's smoldering golden ones. Pale lips parted and Goku wondered if Sanzo was going to kiss him, but instead he said quietly, "Do you trust me, Goku?"

This caused the brunet's brows to furrow in confusion. "What are you talking about Sanzo? Of course I trust you." Daringly, Goku took a step closer to the blond, tracing his eyes over the man's face. "Hell, Sanzo, I…. love you." The moment his confession slipped from his lips Goku leaned down and captured Sanzo's. It was simple, light touch of the lips, but enough.

Sanzo broke off the chaste kiss first, looking deeply troubled about something. It was only a soft furrowing of the eyebrows and a slight twist of the lips but Goku knew the expression when he saw it. "I'm… sorry about this…" Sanzo muttered, almost inaudibly.

Goku wondered what he was talking about until a sound punch connected with his stomach. It was bone shatteringly hard, and Goku found himself gasping at the sudden pain. As Sanzo pulled back, Goku clutched his abdomen tightly, attempting to regain his balance. The last thing he saw before black blanketed his vision and he collapsed to the ground were a pair of troubled violet eyes.

* * *

**A/N: **And there's chapter twelve. It takes a turn from here on, straight towards the end. And yes, there are nineteen chapters officially in this story. I've written up to chapter eighteen, I'm just waiting for some inspiration for the last one. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Comments and criticism are always welcomed.

And look! No French! XD


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Blind Devotion **

**Chapter Thirteen**

Goku awoke with a pounding headache, a sore abdomen, and no memory of what had happened to him. As he began to come back to himself, images and events returned to him, and he bolted upright so fast his vision blackened at the edges. He held his head and hissed. Damn, he must've cracked his head on something when he fell, because damn if he didn't have the world's worst migraine.

Closing his eyes, he replayed the scene of himself and Sanzo in the back alley, covered with snow. His entire body still felt chilled from having to run about with no shoes and in his bedclothes to boot. Why did Sanzo punch him? Placing a tentative hand over his stomach, he winced at the memory. They were talking—or rather, Goku was lecturing Sanzo—and then out of no where it seemed, Sanzo punched him. Correction, knocked him out. Goku's eyes began to narrow in thought. Why would Sanzo need to knock him out?

As he took in his surroundings, he was surprised to find himself seated on a bed. The bed was unfamiliar to him; it was covered in silk sheets and warm and inviting comforters. The kind someone bought if they never planned on getting out of bed. The bed was huge, easily big enough to fit four of him and then some. His eyes trailed over towards the rest of the room. A table was set up nor far away, with a glass of water, a bottle of Aspirin, and his clothes, cleaned and folded. Looking down, Goku flushed when he realized someone had changed him into a pair of cotton pajama pants and a simple white t-shirt.

The room itself looked elegant, as though time had left it behind for several centuries. There was a bookcase filled to the brim and a desk with neatly organized papers and pens. It looked as though the room was set up perfectly, just for him. Goku narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Where the hell was he?

Slowly, he rose to his feet, crossing the room and grabbing the Aspirin. If he could think straight then maybe he could figure out just what happened. Taking two pills, he turned back to his surroundings, just as the door opened. Goku tensed, watching as the man stepped into the room before closing the door behind him.

Emerald eyes glinted as a smile lit his youthful features. The man couldn't be any older then thirty, yet looked to only be a bit taller then Goku. The man crossed the room with long strides that radiated power. "Ah, you're up," he said brightly. "Good. I assume you're hungry. I'm afraid I can't let you leave the room, but I can send some things up for you."

"Where am I?" Goku said curtly, taking a step back for every one the man took forwards. "What's going on? Don't come near me!" he added with a note of desperation, stepping backwards until his back met the wall. He couldn't explain what it was about the man, but he scared Goku. Some primal instinct deep inside told him to run, but he had no where to run to.

The man smiled, stepping up in front of Goku and cutting off all means of escape. The aura of confidence the man radiated was overpowering, and Goku felt as though it was suffocating him. "My name is Xing," the man said softly, causing Goku's breath to hitch, "And you, my dear, little Goku." He allowed his sentence to hang as he dragged a languid finger down Goku's cheek. The brunet stiffened, before he managed to smack his hand away, growling defiantly. Xing smiled, as though he found the behavior cute. "You, Goku, are my new ARIYA."

"What?" Goku cried out, feeling as though the room suddenly became too hot. His throat was closing up and he needed water. He needed air, he needed out.

Xing simply leered at him, smiling as he placed his hand beside Goku's head, leaning in close. Goku's breath caught as his tongue felt heavy in his mouth. The dulled green eyes gazed sightlessly back at him, and Goku was stunned to learn that Xing was blind. He couldn't voice his realization aloud though, as Xing continued. "Yes, you're my next vessel, Goku. I've spent so many years slaving away, making you perfect, allowing you to live so I could capture and use you when the time was right…"

"You're lying!" Goku screamed, finally finding use of his vocal cords. "I've never even known about you guys until Sanzo came along! My parents were—"

"Pawns," Xing hissed, leaning close to Goku's ear. "Those human rebels paid for interfering. It was perfect," his words felt like liquid venom inside Goku's mind, and the boy shuddered. "You should have heard your mother scream and scream as I modified her fetus to suit my needs…"

The image of his poor, deceased mother screaming on a table while Xing watched sightlessly came to mind. It was so real Goku swore he was there, within the room watching the events take place. He could see his mother screaming and sobbing, pleading for the pain to stop. Her hair was pasted to her forehead with sweat, and the tears dripping from her eyes mingled with the blood on the table. In horror Goku realized Xing was putting the images into his head. It was the real events, replayed on the back of his retinas.

"…And I knew I couldn't leave my precious vessel in their care… They would have killed you, if it could stop me, we couldn't have that…" Xing continued as Goku shook at the images before him. "…So I had to make sure that they could never hurt you. Killing them would be too easy…"

And there were his parents again, clutching their heads, screaming as though they were being torn apart from the inside out. He could almost taste their agony.

"… So they did the work for me…"

And there was the scene again in the kitchen. His father brutally killing his mother, and new images of his father falling in front of a train. It was so real Goku swore he could feel the blood splatter on his face. His eyes widened and he shook. He knew he was probably crying, and after a moment he realized he was screaming. Xing backed off as he sunk to his knees, clutching his head and screaming until he was sure his lungs would explode. When he finally ran out of breath, Goku knelt on the ground, clutching his head and sobbing uncontrollably.

Xing smiled softly, kneeling in front of the boy and placing a kind hand on his head. "See, Goku? This is why I need you. You're the only one who can hold the monster. I made you Goku…. You _belong_ to me."

With a sudden scream of fury, Goku launched himself off the ground. He tackled Xing to the ground and nailed a brutal punch to his face. He delivered another, and another before Xing caught his wrist. His fingers dug into his flesh, causing Goku to wince. "Come now, Goku, you might want to save that strength."

"Sanzo is going to come for me," Goku growled, eyes flaming with pure, unguarded hatred. "And when he does we're going to crush you and everything you stand for."

Xing let a smile catch on his lips, as he leaned up, barely an inch away from Goku's mouth. "Such blind devotion, Goku; you'd best be careful. The sun might burn your eyes black if you stare at it too long."

"What?" Goku cried. His cry echoed back at him when he realized he was suddenly alone.

---

"Sanzo! Wait, Sanzo!"

The blond rolled his eyes as he turned back to the young man trying to catch up with him. Hazel hurried down the hall, fumbling with the books in his hands. The bullet hole in his hand that Sanzo had delivered had become difficult to work with, and the pain must've been immense. Hazel was lucky his hand didn't fall apart from the injury, but Sanzo had to remind himself that Drifters were much more resilient then humans. Like cockroaches, he thought with a snarl. Hazel finally stopped next to him, sighing as the pair continued down the long hallway.

The robes he'd shed forty years ago seemed heavy on his shoulders, Sanzo noted as he shifted uncomfortably. Or perhaps it was the guilt of what he had to do to get them that was weighting him down. The sight of innocent golden eyes peering up at him with pure trust, love and devotion were burned into his mind. Then the confusion as Sanzo delivered a sound punch to the boy's abdomen, knocking him out cold. The image of Goku, crumpled down in the snow in front of him would haunt him forever.

He subconsciously rubbed his arm where one of Hazel's dogs had gotten him, picking up his pace. Hazel frowned and muttered something irritably beneath his breath.

It was true that his arm had been torn open, but it wasn't physical flesh that the dogs attacked. Hazel's dogs, as well as the entire Drifter population, knew that even if the body died, the mind could still live on. That was why most attacks were always directed towards the mind instead of the body. But for a moment, Sanzo had forgotten that, and swore he could see the white bone peeking from his around the muscle and blood. It almost made him sick. It took him a moment to remind himself that it was all in his mind… just in time to see Goku fly into a blind rage.

He couldn't explain how Goku had seen his arm like Sanzo had, but knew something had to be done about the way Goku was ruthlessly beating Homura. As much as he would've loved to watch the beating continue, he couldn't leave Goku like that. For a moment, Sanzo had honestly been afraid of Goku's pure rage and bloodlust. Then, he remembered who he was and sprung to stop him.

His thoughts led him to wonder what Homura had been doing there in the first place. He could understand Homura's position; one false move and he would be executed. Homura had always been loyal to Xing, believing that his way was the right way, but in the last hundred years Homura always seemed to be second guessing himself. Sanzo had seen the changes in him, watched the way his indecision had begun to take hold of him. He wanted to follow Xing until the end, even if he knew what he was doing was wrong. Homura and Sanzo had never been friends, and in the past had never had any qualms about bringing him in.

But lately his behavior had been strange. Maybe it had something to do with Goku? He almost laughed aloud at the prospect.

"I must say Sanzo, you look dashing in those robes again," Hazel remarked, tearing Sanzo from his thoughts. The blue-eyed man seemed to be having trouble with the books, and Sanzo could tell just by looking at him that the wound had reopened again. Hell, just by looking at him, Sanzo knew that Hazel's pathetic little attempt at small talk was just a way of sucking up. He also knew Hazel was in love with him, and had been for the last two centuries. "It's good to have you back," the young man continued.

"Shut the hell up," Sanzo snapped irritably, turning towards the room he was supposed to be in. Damnit, this place was too big, he was already late.

Sanzo turned towards the door as Hazel hurried up next to him. "I always knew you'd come back to us," Hazel said, words sweetly coated by his southern accent. There was devilish intent behind those eyes, and Sanzo narrowed his own.

"Don't come to my chambers tonight," Sanzo said curtly. He watched the shock flicker across Hazel's face, followed by the realization of what had happened. "I'm not going to sleep with you."

With that, Sanzo opened the door, closing it audibly behind him as he quickly headed across the office floor. The glass floors clanked loudly beneath his boots as Sanzo stopped in front of a large mahogany desk, where Xing was seated calmly. Homura stood next to him, long jacket replaced with robes as the reason for leaving the building had been settled. He was happy to see several cuts and bruises on his face from where he fought Kougaiji. Sanzo prayed there were more. His mismatched eyes sought out Sanzo as he entered. Though masked, Sanzo could easily see through his disguise to the worry, shock, fear and anger. Worry for Goku, shock for Sanzo, fear for himself, and anger at Xing for the events that had unfolded before them. As Sanzo turned his eyes back forwards, he found Xing completely blank. He could not read past the expressions on his face. It always unnerved Sanzo that he couldn't _see_ Xing, like he could everyone else.

_It's his eyes, _Sanzo told himself as he quietly regarded the man in front of him. _They devour my eyesight. Nobody can attack him. It's what makes him so… Indestructible. _

"Bonjour, Monsieur. Sanzo, capitaine du Premier Battalion, au rapport." Sanzo bowed, and when he came up, he spotted Homura's disgusted glare. It was easy to see that Homura was appalled at the thought that after forty years of betrayal Sanzo could come back and secure his place as Second in command, right under Xing. Sanzo shot him a cocky smirk and Homura scowled. Then again Xing had always favored Sanzo, not matter what he did. That was obvious, even without his eyesight.

"Well, Sanzo," Xing said happily in plain English. "It's good to hear you saying that again. It's been too long."

"Indeed it has, sir," Sanzo replied.

Xing circled the desk, heading towards them. Despite his sightlessness, Xing could maneuver or fight expertly. One would never guess just by looking at him that the man was blind. "Well, Homura, you'll be happy to learn that Sanzo has found our next ARIYA, and brought him into our care. This makes it easier on all of us. Call back your troops, and have them prepare for the ceremony."

"Yes sir," Homura replied, attempting to keep his eyes from straying to Sanzo beside him. Something was very, very wrong.

Xing began to pace, as though the meeting held no real interest for him, though his tone suggested that he was happy that everything was finally falling into place. "This is excellent news, gentlemen. We only have until the next full moon before our race dies."

"What?" Homura exclaimed. Next to him, Sanzo flinched.

Xing turned back to them, green eyes suddenly hardened into a look of pure seriousness. "Yes," he said, crossing to the other side of the room. Someone might say that Xing's pacing was out of anxiety, though Sanzo knew him better then that. "That means we have less then a week. But we do not need to fear. On the night of the full moon, we shall release Seiten Taisei, and our race will be saved long before the sun rises."

Sanzo and Homura stayed silent a moment, dwelling over the name of the beast that was well known but seldom said. Sanzo furrowed his brow as he continued to watch the man who he'd come to hate. Xing turned to both of them, his face lighting up into a smile as he headed towards Sanzo. "But we have everything, so no need to fear. Except," Xing drawled as he held his hand out, long fingers uncurling to reveal a devilish palm. His eyes glinted as Sanzo glared in return. "I need that scripture, Sanzo."

Sanzo took a moment to clutch the sutra still in the folds of his robes. He'd never thought this day would come. He hesitated, gnawing on the inside of his lip. The second he handed over the scroll would be the official end of everything. So many people had died to keep this from happening, and now their sacrifices had been in vain. Homura seemed to sense his hesitation, and was intrigued by Sanzo's rare show of vulnerability. Sanzo mentally snarled at him as he turned his attention back to Xing. The man's hand was still out, expectantly, waiting. He was enjoying Sanzo's inward struggle; the blond just knew it.

But this was the final test, Sanzo told himself. It was Xing's way of finding out if he was truly loyal.

Slowly, Sanzo held out the sutra, and released it into Xing's hand before he could change his mind.

Xing smiled devilishly, backing away from the pair. Sanzo watched with a critical eye as Xing placed the scroll in his desk, and closed the drawer, not even bothering to lock it, as though he knew Sanzo wouldn't _dare_ to try and steal it back. "Dismissed, gentlemen," Xing said with a wave of his hand, before turning to more important documents on his desk.

Homura and Sanzo both bowed evenly, before turning and heading towards the door. They both calmly headed out into the hall, and as soon as the door was closed, Sanzo found himself roughly shoved up against the wall, with mismatched eyes seething up at him. Sanzo spied Homura's leather gloves tightened around the collar of his robes, and idly wondered if Homura would attempt to use the Shock Touch against him again.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" Homura growled in a tone that said he wouldn't hesitate to rip Sanzo apart if he answered incorrectly.

Sanzo merely smirked cockily. "Whatever do you mean?" he asked, enjoying the annoyance it added to Homura's expression.

"You know damn well what I mean!" Homura half-yelled, his grip on Sanzo's robe tightening. "You tricked Goku! You led that poor boy on so you can drag him back here! He should have been hidden! You should have protected him! You abandoned forty years of rebellion and dragged Goku down with you!"

Sanzo gripped Homura's wrists; a snarl making its way onto his features. "Don't talk like you know anything," the blond warned.

"And don't talk like _you_ know anything!" Homura snapped back. "That boy trusted you Sanzo, and you betrayed him. What the hell are you going to do when he learns what you did, if he hasn't already?"

Sanzo's eyes darkened and his grip on Homura's wrists had become painful. "He'll just have to learn that the only person he can trust is himself."

"You've changed, Sanzo. I don't know what it is, but you've changed." Homura dropped the blond, shoving him back into the wall for good measure. "You don't deserve him."

Without another word, Homura turned and stalked down the hallway. Sanzo stayed still a moment longer, leaning back against the wall as he watched the dark-haired Drifter's retreating back. Sanzo clenched his fist, before running one hand over his tired eyes. "I know…"

* * *

**A/N: **Yay! The long awaited chapter is finally up. I'm sorry this took so long, but real life kicked me and my beta in the shins for a while there. But here it is, and I hope you all enjoyed!

So, **I have an announcement, for anyone who loves/likes/kinda stands/tolerates Blind Devotion.** I finished writing the story and me and my beta read it over and she looked at me and said one thing, "You need to write a sequel." So, I racked my brain with what I could do with it, trying to figure out how to seal up all the little holes that I left. Now, this summer my mother, my brother and I went to Europe. I had the opportunity to go to France. Now we all know a little mister Sanzo is from France, (At least in this story) don't we? Now, as I was sitting on bus tours, we went to the Effie Tower. As I looked at this thing, a plot bunny came at me with a two-by-four and I nearly fell off the bus.

So Blind Devotion will have a sequel! However, don't think of it as a sequel, because the way it's turning out, it's really not. Think of it as the second half of the story, and Windy would put it all together if she didn't love the way she ended Blind Devotion.

So yes, BD's sequel will be called **Blind Obsession**. Did I perk any interests? I hope so. Anyway, you don't have to worry about that for a few more chapters yet, but I thought I'd give everyone a heads up.

My little Blind Devotion is growing so big! (sobs) Anyway, translations…

Translations: (as they appear)

"Good afternoon, sir. Sanzo, captain of the First Battalion, reporting in."

C&C appreciated.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Blind Devotion**

**Chapter Fourteen**

So far, Goku's escape attempt had been fruitless.

He'd tried three times in the last two days. The first time had been through the front door after the sun had gone down. Someone had left it unlocked—whether it was to taunt him or not was beyond him—and Goku had taken the opportunity to run for it. He had been stopped early on by a tall man with red eyes, who'd thrown him back into the room unceremoniously. The man made a point of locking it, as though he was mocking him. His second time had been slightly more successful. He'd sawed off the bars on the window after several hours of work—not to mention several kitchen knives—and made his way onto the window ledge outside. He was just lucky that someone didn't feel the need to check on him every other hour, or his plan would have failed. He was three stories up, but Goku was sure he'd be able to shimmy his way down somehow. He made it down two stories, before he had fallen ungracefully into a flower garden, which resulted in him getting caught, and stronger bars being placed on his window.

The third time he'd tried to attack the young woman who brought him his lunch. She easily deflected his attack and it ended up with him flat on his back with the wind knocked out of him.

Everything he could use to kill himself with had been stripped from his room. It wasn't as though Goku actually wanted to kill himself, but as a last resort he had been mulling it over. Unfortunately, one of the men was probably a mind reader, seeing as the next morning they had taken almost everything out of the room that he could kill himself with; pens, sheets, knives—everything. It left the white-walled room very bare.

He never ate the food set out for him. Each meal looked delicious and tantalizing, but Goku refused to eat it. These people were his enemies; god only knew what kind of poison or whatever they stuck in the food. So Goku resisted all temptation to eat no matter how desperate he was. Each meal, he watched the servants lay out food for him and then watched as they would take it out a few hours later. By the end of the second day his hunger was substantial and he often found himself watching the food. It was by sheer force of will that he didn't eat it.

Each hour seemed twice as long as it should have. Goku had always hated waiting; the silence and stillness of the room was driving him crazy. The books laid out for him were all in French, and impossible for him to read. Without pens, writing was impossible. So Goku was forced to sit with his thoughts, not something he enjoyed.

Mostly, he thought of Sanzo. He memorized the way he looked, every curve of his lover's body. He replayed the sound of his voice in his head when the hunger would almost make him pass out. He drew strength from his memories and the knowledge that soon Sanzo would come for him. But the more he thought about the man, the more he worried. He'd replayed the scene in the alley over and over, trying to figure out what it was Sanzo had realized without him—what he saw. Perhaps he had been attacked? Maybe to keep him out of harm, Sanzo knocked him out, but failed? Where was Sanzo? Was he dead? Was he imprisoned somewhere, slowly being tortured to death?

The more he thought, the darker his thoughts became. So he tried not to think about it. He spent most of his time sleeping, or attempting to think up another escape route.

And at nights, he watched as slowly but surely, the moon became fuller and fuller. It was the ticking timebombof his destruction.

It had been late in the afternoon on the third day when Goku was working on another escape attempt. He had broken the legs off the chairs around the table, and was binding them together using whatever he had—towels, clothes, whatever. Hopefully with a weapon he would stand more of a chance against the Drifters on his next escape attempt. However just as he was binding more of the stubby furniture legs together, the door opened, and Xing stepped in.

Xing was wearing his usual long, navy blue robe which was lined with red silk he wore every day when he came to visit Goku. He was smiling, as usual, and his dark brown hair had been brushed back away from his face. He stepped further into the room, his eyes drifting down to the mess of splinters and wood before turning back up sightlessly towards Goku. Goku got the chilling feeling that the man could see without his eyes, which was a scary prospect in itself.

"The servants tell me you haven't been eating," Xing said as he stepped past Goku's untouched lunch, dragging a hand over the wood of the table. "And…. you'vebeen misbehaving." He _tsked _his tongue, eyes trailing about as though taking in the room around him. "Now, now, Goku, I don't want to have to strip this room bare."

Goku merely growled in response, readying the stick out in front of him, but not yet moving. Xing merely scoffed, waving his hand. "That won't work on me, you know," he said cockily, as the makeshift staff in Goku's hands exploded in a spray of splinters.

Goku cried out, stumbling away from the mess as he took in his hands. There was blood here and there from where the splinters had stabbed his hands, but mostly he was fine. "I spent the last three hours making that, you know," Goku spat, turning back up to glare at Xing.

"You shouldn't have wasted your time," Xing said coldly, as he turned back towards the door. "Now be a good boy and come with me."

"Rot in hell," Goku shot back, taking a few steps back towards the bed, praying he was as intimidating as he hoped he was.

Xing paused, but did not turn back to face the younger brunet. In a low, menacing tone, he said, "Don't make me have to drag you, Goku."

Something in his voice scared Goku to the point where the spiteful comebacks died on his tongue. Instead, he took a few steps forwards, heading towards the door after the older man. They stepped out into the hall, and Goku took the time to study the hallways and exits, planning his escape route. The hallways were littered with Drifters, all in the same navy blue robes as Xing. They twisted and turned down several more red-carpeted hallways, until Goku started to get dizzy. The more he tried to keep track of the hallways they entered, the more lost he became. It was like the entire building was one giant maze.

They turned into a hallway without any carpets or windows. It was dank and dark, and it felt like ghosts and ghouls were nipping at his heels. Unconsciously, Goku sped up his pace, which only seemed to amuse his guide. They passed by prison cells and Goku got the inkling feeling he was walking down something akin to death row. His stomach churned at that thought, and he wondered why Xing was leading him here. Was this where they were keeping Sanzo? Was Xing planning to dash his hopes by showing him the crumpled and broken form of his lover?

Goku felt as though he was going to suffocate as they finally stopped next to the right cell. It wasn't Sanzo behind those thick prison bars, but instead someone just as familiar. Messy black hair spread out over thin shoulders as the figure hugged his knees to his chest. There were bruises and scratches all along his pale arms, as though he'd been thrown around recently.

"Nataku!" Goku cried out, falling in front of the bars as the cell's occupant looked up.

Golden eyes surveyed him for a moment, and then began to swim with tears as Nataku pulled himself closer to his friend. Goku cupped Nataku's face in his hands, wishing he could heal the bruises that dotted all along Nataku's body. "Oh god, Goku," Nataku whispered, attempting to get as close to the brunet as possible with the metal bars in the way. "What on earth is going on…?"

Nataku's head dipped and his shoulders shook as he attempted to keep back his sobs. Goku felt his heart wrench as he rested his forehead against the bars. "It's okay, Nataku," Goku attempted to say as soothingly as possible, though he could feel his own eyes stinging with tears. "Everything's going to be okay…"

"Now, you understand, Goku," Xing said casually next to him, causing Goku's head to snap up and his glare harden. "For the ritual of summoning the beast to work, we need a human sacrifice."

At the implications of his words, Goku's eyes widened. "You wouldn't…" he breathed.

"I would," Xing replied, leaning back against the wall. "But, if your behavior is good until the ceremony, then I will reconsider, and your friend will go free. If not, I will not hesitate to kill him and offer his blood up to Seiten Taisei. So, Goku, it is your choice."

Angrily, Goku stood. His fists clenched, as he attempted to glare Xing down. "You cold hearted bastard!" he screamed. "I swear, when Sanzo gets here I'll—"

"You fool!" Xing suddenly mocked, his tone seeped amusement as his face lit up. "How blind are you, Goku? I can't believe you still haven't figured it out yet."

"What out?' Goku shot back defensively.

Xing's smile only seemed to grow as he took a step towards him, "Sanzo _betrayed_ you, Goku." Though they were whispered, Goku felt the words screaming in his head, causing his eyes to widen and his heart to stop for a precious few beats.

"You're lying!" he shouted feverishly, feeling as though the room was closing in all around him. "Sanzo wouldn't betray me!"

"Really?" Xing replied calmly. "Then what are you doing here?"

As Goku attempted to teach his lungs how to breathe again, his mind scattered, bringing up every moment he could find that would prove Xing wrong. But the more his mind searched, the more he found himself believing Xing's words.

"_Do you trust me, Goku?" _

His words, his actions—everything seemed to point to the single fact that Sanzo had handed him over to the people he hated the most to be killed. Goku could taste bile on his tongue at the thought. He was going to be sick at the very idea. An image of those violet eyes came to mind, confused and small as he learned they could no longer see. Then later as they stared sightlessly up towards the ceiling, and then again, clouded in hazy passion. And once more he saw them, focusing on him with worry and doubt swimming just beneath the surface.

Had it all been a lie?

"_I'm… sorry about this." _

Goku was numb. He couldn't hear Nataku calling out to him, or see Xing approach him, placing a hand on his shoulder, telling him calmly they should head back to his room. He couldn't even snap back or try and escape.

All he could do was numbly walk back down the long, dark hallways. Goku knew it didn't matter anymore if they sacrificed him or called the demon to overtake him or whatever, because he knew it was all over.

His heart may have been beating, but Son Goku was dead.

---

Here he was again.

How many times had he stood here when his thoughts and doubts had become too much to bear? As he stood before the grave, his robes blew with the wind whipping past him. His bangs covered his eyes, as though even his own hair had turned against him. He attempted to find peace as he traced over the words engraved on the stone as he had done many times in the past; there was no peace to be found today.

Perhaps it was because every time he traced over the name he was hit with guilt over what he had done to the man's son.

Victor was buried alone, not next to the wife he held so dear or friends or any family. He was buried alone, in the middle of nowhere, by Sanzo's own hand. The blond felt obligated to bury his friend when he found his remains; after all, Sanzo did feel responsible for his death.

He wasn't even sure who he was anymore. Was he the rebellious leader, attempting to overthrow his own race? Or was he the pathetic little lapdog who had run back to Xing, offering up Goku so he could retain his spot as right hand to the man he hated the most? He didn't even know, didn't even want to know. Gods only knew what Goku thought of him now.

Goku…

Sanzo grumbled at himself, entwining his fingers in his hair as he muttered out curses. He did _not_ want to think about Goku at the moment, since he was the one subject it seemed he couldn't get his mind off of. Sanzo could only imagine the boy within that cold, bare room cursing his name with every fiber of his being. It was better this way, Sanzo tried to convince himself. However, every once in a while Sanzo found his mind trailing back to long days within Goku's apartment, listening to the sounds of the younger boy moving about the house while he feigned blindness.

He could still remember the last few days in Goku's apartment when his sight slowly began to return to him. Sanzo had been in obvious denial, a part of him knowing that when he got his sight back he would have to leave, or risk destroying the one thing he cared for most.

Sanzo muttered inaudible curses. Damnit, when had Goku grown so close to him?

While lost in his musings, he didn't hear the figure approach him until it stumbled in the grass, the sound catching Sanzo's ears. Turning, Sanzo was a little more then surprised to find Kougaiji behind him, clutching one arm across his stomach where blood leaked out heavily, the other arm hanging pathetically at his side, burnt to the point where it was useless. His face and clothes were streaked with blood, but despite the pain Kougaiji's lips twitched upwards into a smile.

"Sanzo…" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "You son of a… bitch…"

Kougaiji pitched forwards, and Sanzo tried to tell himself that it was instinct that made him reach out to catch his former comrade. Laying him on the ground, Sanzo wondered if there was any way to stop the bleeding, even though he knew Kougaiji was as good as dead.

Kougaiji's listless indigo eyes turned towards the sky, taking in the reddish glow as the sun began to make it's decent below the horizon. "I thought you said… you would never wear blue again, Sanzo?" the red-haired man whispered breathlessly.

Sanzo snorted. "C'mon Kougaiji, even you have to admit this was a pointless resistance," Sanzo's eyes clouded as his gaze turned towards the grass which was slowly being stained crimson. "Even Victor must've realized that towards the end."

Kougaiji coughed, before he slowly began to chuckle dryly. "You're an idiot," Kougaiji said weakly. "Even after he started to go insane, Victor was devoted to the end. He came to me… before he died, Sanzo. He told me… he was going to kill Goku. He was… so very close. But then…Xing must've realized it was impossible for a father to... kill his own son. Clever bastard…"

Sanzo shook his head, mostly at the thoughts entering his mind. "You never told me this…"

Kougaiji strained to see through the blood that leaked into his eyes. "You never asked." Kougaiji soon found himself in a coughing fit, blood rolling from the corners of his mouth. Sanzo winced at the sound, until the wielder of fire managed to get his fit under control. "I think my only regret…" Kougaiji wheezed as his eyes trailed up to focus on Sanzo's face, "Would be dying before you."

Sanzo frowned as he watched the life slowly slip from his partner; his hand which had been attempting to wipe the blood from his mouth slumped down to his side. Sanzo remained impassive as he watched the life bleed away from his partner, the orange glow of his aura dissipating and flying up towards the sky. Sanzo could see Kougaiji's soul passing on, and could do nothing to stop it.

"T'es un imbécile, Kougaiji," Sanzo whispered, his words caught and whisked away by the sound of silence.

---

When Goku retired back to his room, the first thing he wanted to do was sleep. He padded across the warm floor, feeling good against the carpet as he dragged his feet. He had lost the will to pick them up anyway; hell, he'd lost the will to _look_ up. The reason he'd been fighting so boldly for had been swiped, dangled and then shredded before him. Why the hell should he care anymore? What did it matter?

Just as he was about to fall into bed, the scent of something truly delicious caught his attention. Cocking a curious brow, Goku turned lifelessly towards it. On the table was a tray of food for dinner. Cooked duck and steamed vegetables with gravy. There was a side of salad and a cup of fruit placed next to a slice of pie. It all looked so delicious and Goku's starved belly rumbled at the thought of such delicious food.

It seemed without his consent, his feet turned, and slowly began to head toward the table. His mind was fogged with pain, hunger and exhaustion, so for only a moment he stared at the food in front of him. He was so hungry… Why was he depriving himself again? He couldn't remember.

Shakily, he reached a hand out, and took one grape from the bowl of fruit. He stared at it hungrily, before bringing it towards his mouth.

Suddenly, his conscious mind returned to him and he realized just what he was doing. He slapped his hand away, allowed the grape to hit the ground, and roll away from him. Glaring angrily at the food which tempted him, he let out a roar of frustration. He grabbed the underside of the table and flipped it over, the food spilling all across the floor. The pie splattered on the carpet, the duck hit the ground and rolled, covered in dirt. The miscellaneous fruit from the bowl rolled about the room, unreachable where it stopped under the desk and bookcase. And the salad tossed lettuce all about the room in a spray of dressing.

Goku breathed deep for a moment, staring at the soiled food. He was tempted—more then tempted—to go and eat the food that had fallen. But no, he couldn't. He stumbled backwards onto the bed, keeping away from the mess he'd made. His features hardened suddenly as he gripped the blankets beneath him tightly.

He would be damned if he gave into them. No matter what happened, Goku would never submit. Not even Sanzo's betrayal would change that.

* * *

**A/N: **hello everybody! Sorry it's been so long. School is like, killing me with a spork and work is taking what's left, so I've been very busy, along with my wonderful beta, whom we offer lots of love and… junk. Anyway, as I said before Blind Devotion will have 19 chapters, and then Blind Obsession will continue on after that (god knows how many that will have.) Just for those of you who thought the last chapter was the last. Anywho, thanks to everyone who's stuck with me for so long, and I hope you enjoyed.

French Translations: (as they appear)

"You are a fool, Kougaiji."

C&C appreciated.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Blind Devotion**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Goku was afraid to die.

It was only understandable, anyone his age would be afraid of death. He had just reached adulthood and it was usually then when young men and women really got their lives going. Sure, there were always tragedies, but this was supposed to be when he started gaining freedom, and became more independent in his life. He was supposed to be going to college and finding a job, not sitting in a strange building about to be offered up as a vessel to a creature that was going to essentially destroy the world.

Tomorrow night was the end. Everyone had been preparing, and all day Goku had listened to the commotion outside his door. Goku felt sick. He'd tried to sleep, but his hunger and turbulent thoughts had kept him awake. So he sat by the window, watching the moon slowly move across the sky. It was late, probably sometime past midnight, so at least the noise had dimmed. The only sounds were the faint footsteps of men guarding outside his door. He hadn't bothered paying them any mind anymore.

Goku was beginning to think not eating was a bad idea. Over the past day he'd been hallucinating, picturing images of Sanzo crumpled on the floor, or Nataku reading one of the books. He thought the bars had disappeared from the window at one point, but was sorely mistaken when he got to the window and realized they were still in place. He also swore the door was open, taunting him with its unreachable freedom. Goku had glared at it, not bothering to race forwards to see if it was truly real or not. He knew it wasn't. After about an hour the hallucination disappeared, revealing that he was right all along.

One of the weirdest hallucinations had to be of himself. It was different though, changed. His hair was long and grown out, and his clothes were in tatters. His face was splattered in blood, his eyes were narrow and his pupils slit, almost like a predatory cat. The hallucination had watched him for a long time, and Goku had watched it back, wondering what it was going to do. Then, after what felt like forever, the hallucination opened it mouth, and said, "Vite, je me suis fatigué t'attendre," before it faded.

Goku had no idea what the image had said, and was worrying more and more about himself. He'd seen that same hallucination over and over, like a haunting spirit that simply wouldn't leave him alone. After a while he'd learned to ignore it, but the mirror-image of himself always said the same line in French before disappearing.

One of the worst hallucinations had been of Sanzo. He'd imagined the man sitting at the windowsill, bathed in the moonlight while he watched the stars. It looked as though he'd just stepped out of the shower, his golden hair still dripping wet. He was clothed in his usual jeans and nothing else, while he propped his bare feet up in front of him. When Goku had spotted him, Sanzo had looked up, and smiled at him. He rose to his feet, and crossed the room towards him.

Goku had been frozen, watching as the hallucinatory Sanzo moved closer and closer. It was only when the man reached out to hold him did Goku react. "No!" he screamed, taking a few steps back. "You're not real…"

The hallucinatory Sanzo looked hurt for only a moment, before he twisted his head away, frowning softly as he faded. Goku had found himself out of breath by the time Sanzo had disappeared, and even more surprising were the tears that were dripping off his chin.

Goku had tried not to think about the last three months with the blond. He tried not to dwell on things that could have been, or had been. Because really, Goku had come to the realization that none of it was real. Sanzo had lied to him, used him, and then offered him up to the people they were supposed to be against. Was this how every rebellion worked? No, Goku snorted at himself, turning his enraged gaze down towards the silent gardens below, bathed in star-light. Rebellions don't back-stab their own members and tear themselves apart from the inside out; at least, not ones without Sanzo.

Goku sighed softly as he watched cars streak down the highway, probably heading back home after a long night of work. Where they were, Goku wasn't sure, but from his perch at the window he could see all the way towards the city center, and out further east where the city bled away to reveal farmland covered in a thick blanket of snow. The city was alive with lights that seemed to drown out the stars above. But no matter how strong the city's lights were, they couldn't drown out the moonlight.

Turning his attention up towards the sky, he spotted the almost full moon above him, only a sliver missing to make it complete. Goku wished the moon wasn't so bright, wished that the city lights could drown it out so he wouldn't have to be reminded of his inevitable destruction. But nothing, it seemed, could drown out the moon.

Nothing, except for the sun.

Thoughts of the sun only made Goku groan softly, curling into himself. He didn't want to think of the sun, because the bright golden star only made him think of Sanzo. Images of Sanzo's golden hair dancing before violet pools came to mind, then more images of running his fingers through it, and again spread out over his pillow. Sanzo was like the sun, the center of everything. And truly, he was. He was the center of the mess Goku had landed himself in; the center of Goku's misery and pain. And the center of Goku's life as of late.

Goku was like the earth, circling around the sun, blissfully unaware of the sun's plans to self-destruct, taking him with it. And by the time the earth realized it, there was nothing left to save.

He just wanted to be mad at the sun, but he couldn't.

No matter how hard Goku tried, he found he just couldn't stay mad at Sanzo. Every time he thought about Sanzo's betrayal it only led Goku to think of his own flaws and doubt himself. Perhaps it had been some thing he had done wrong that made Sanzo turn on him. Maybe he said, or did something that made Sanzo decide he wasn't worth having around anymore. But the more he went over the familiar scenes in his head, the more he found himself wondering what it was he had done wrong. He couldn't think of anything, so why…?

Goku refused to believe that Sanzo had betrayed him of his own free will. He just… couldn't believe that. Perhaps it was love that clouded his vision, or maybe it was just devotion that drove him blind. Whatever it was, Goku knew it was keeping him from seeing Sanzo's flaws. After all, to him the blond was perfect. He couldn't imagine changing a thing about him.

Goku had been dwelling on the idea of attempting sleep again as he shifted in the windowsill, the narrow ledge digging into his back to a point where it was uncomfortable. But something told him to stay, just to wait a little longer, and Goku wasn't much for protesting tonight.

However, when the door to the room slowly creaked open, Goku felt his heart seize. His golden gaze snapped over to the door, springing to his feet instantaneously. He was expecting Xing to enter as he usually did, and was surprised when his own eyes sought out smoldering violet.

For a moment, Goku couldn't breathe; his heart, it seemed, had forgotten how to beat. The man from his musings had come to him, though Goku could not say why. At first, the brunet was going to brush it off as another hallucination, but unlike the previous illusions this one was solid. The previous Sanzo had drifted from opaque to transparent, as though it couldn't decide whether it was real or not. But this one stood tall, clear as day, wearing the heavy robes of the Drifters. When Goku's eyes had caught the navy blue material, hurt and anger sparked within him. Despite being unable to stay mad at the blond for very long, Goku still wouldn't back down from the man who betrayed him. Not this time.

"You're still awake," Sanzo said slowly, the words rumbling off his tongue. Goku tried not to find that sexy as he glared into violet eyes, challenging them to try anything; daring them to take a step forwards.

"Yes, I am," Goku replied coldly, brushing a strand of brown hair from his eyes. His lips twisted into a displeased frown as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Now what do you want?" His tone was clipped, and painfully blunt. Goku almost wished it would make Sanzo wince, and was slightly annoyed when all Sanzo did was narrow his eyes.

"I came to see you," he said simply, still not moving away from his place in the doorway. After a moment of silence, he took another step into the room, closing the door behind him. "You haven't been eating," Sanzo noted dully.

"Stop trying to make small-talk," Goku snarled back, his fingers curling around his arm, gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly. "What do you want?" he repeated coldly, annunciating each word.

Sanzo didn't reply right away, his eyes drawn down towards the tray of food which was supposed to be his dinner. As every other meal that had been given to him, it had gone untouched. The silence dragged on for a few more minutes, as Sanzo took another daring step deeper into the room. As his boots hit the ground, Goku felt his defiance slipping from him. He knew if Sanzo came to close he would crumble, and be putty in his hands once more. Goku never wanted that to happen again. "That's good," Sanzo said suddenly, causing Goku to look up, a puzzled expression drawing onto his features. "That you're not eating it," Sanzo clarified without looking up. He took another step forwards, and Goku felt his throat go dry. "They've been slipping drugs into the food, to make you more agreeable."

"Lovely," Goku drawled sarcastically, studying the way Sanzo's hair framed his face. He bit his tongue, attempting to focus back on the conversation. "What are you doing here, Sanzo?" he asked once more. "If I have to repeat myself one more time I swear I'm going to snap."

Sanzo sighed, taking several more steps forwards before turning to meet Goku's gaze. The brunet felt his heart stop when he saw Sanzo's eyes open and exposed, swimming with emotions Goku couldn't name. "I…" Sanzo began. He trailed off, almost as though his throat had gone bone dry. Goku knew the feeling; he shifted uncomfortably where he stood. "I wanted to apologize," he said finally.

Goku's glare hardened. "Well, you've done enough of that, haven't you?" he snapped bitterly. His harsh words only resulted in a frown crossing Sanzo's features. "Just leave me alone, I've got a lot to deal with without having to listen to you prattle on like a broken record…"

Goku's eyes suddenly widened and his sentence trailed off when he realized Sanzo had stopped right in front of him. When had he gotten that close? Goku said nothing as he stared up at the man, hating that Sanzo could tower over him without much effort. The blond's lips were set in a fine line, and his eyes were clouded with thought. Sanzo gripped Goku's shoulders, and in that moment Goku felt as though he'd died and gone to heaven. "Just promise me," Sanzo said softly as he watched his young charge before him. "That no matter what happens; tomorrow night you don't lose your temper."

Before Goku could ask him what he meant by that, Sanzo leaned down and captured his lips in a kiss.

It was anything but passionate or demanding, but it wasn't chaste either. It was somewhere in the middle, which suited Goku just fine. The simple contact of lip had his spine turning to jelly as he melted in Sanzo's arms. He forgot why he had to be mad, forgot where he was and forgot why it mattered. He simply fell in love all over again as he gripped the fabric of Sanzo's robe, bringing himself even closer.

There wasn't a fiber in Goku's being that believed that this was anything but right.

--

Sanzo had been more then a little surprised when Goku responded to the kiss he'd initiated. It wasn't as though he was complaining, no, far from it. He could feel Goku gripping his robe as their tongues mingled somewhere in a mass of saliva. However, their moment of euphoria ended abruptly when it seemed Goku realized what he was doing. He pulled back, stumbling away from Sanzo, breathing raggedly. He summoned up the best glare he could manage, his eyes narrowed and his canine teeth bared like a cornered animal.

"Get out," he spat, disgusted.

Sanzo didn't need to be told twice. He was expecting that reaction from Goku. Without bothering to respond, the blond turned on his heel and quickly left the room. Once outside in the hallway, Sanzo leaned back against the wall, safe in the knowledge that no one was watching him. It was rare to find this level of privacy, but it appeared people had better things to do then spy of the captain of the First Battalion. That was a good thing, seeing as this way he could have his last moment with Goku before everything went to hell in a hand basket. Besides, if he was caught with Goku, then he didn't doubt that Xing would lock him away until the ceremony was long over. Xing didn't have room for anymore failures.

It was better that he didn't tell Goku what he was planning. If the boy knew, then Sanzo didn't doubt that someone would find out. Sanzo could at least guard his thoughts, whereas Goku was an open book who wanted to look hard enough. Sanzo didn't even have to look that hard, really, to see what lay just beyond the surface.

Sanzo could see straight through people, quite literally. He couldn't read minds, but he might as well have been able to. He could see people's auras, their souls, their emotions, their intentions, and often, their entire past and life behind them. He could always tell if someone was lying, or if they were hovering, wanting something more. In truth, it was a very useful skill to have, especially around someone like Goku. The boy was as open as could be, and the second Sanzo stepped into the room he could see Goku's longing, loneliness and devotion radiating off him in waves. But he could also see the hurt and anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

Sanzo sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment. He had gotten his last kiss. He prayed everything would go according to plan, but if they didn't, and one or both of them died, then he had been able to steal one last kiss. He just prayed Goku listened to him, and wouldn't lose control of himself tomorrow evening. If he did, then Seiten Taisei would be able to pass through easily. Then Goku would be lost, and with him, the entire human race would follow.

Sanzo bit the inside of his lip, praying that his timing would be perfect tomorrow. If even one thing went wrong…

Shaking his head, Sanzo turned and began heading down the darkened hallway. Now wasn't the time for doubts, he had work to do.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry about the long wait, everyone! Life hit me like a semi and then I couldn't get a hold of anyone for the French translation. But here it is. Sorry again about the wait.

French Translations:

"Hurry up already. I'm tired of waiting."

C&C appreciated.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Blind Devotion**

**Chapter Sixteen**

Goku was terrified. More then terrified. He was so afraid he couldn't breathe. All day he had listened to the commotion outside his door, attempting to ice himself over for the inevitable. He tried not to be afraid; he tried to have faith that in the end, the good guys would always triumph. Though as soon as the sun began to go down and the commotion outside his door began to dim, he realized that this wasn't a fairy tale. Good guys did lose in real life, and bad things did happen. Luckily, Goku had been able to make sure he didn't cry. He was going to die, but he still had his dignity.

He'd attempted to escape many times during the day and the evening, but it was all fruitless. They had completely sealed in him inside with some sort of magic, and there was no way around it. Goku wondered why they hadn't done this earlier, and decided they probably didn't think he was worth it.

As the evening began to wear on, Goku felt his anxiety building. The tension within his room was a thick presence in the air, though Goku couldn't stop the apprehension that continued to mount within him. By ten o'clock he was almost pulling out his hair, wishing they would simply do it or not so he could get rid of all the damned tension. Unfortunately, it seemed his wish was granted. By ten thirty, the door to his suite was thrown open, and two tall men in robes entered, each one grasping him by the arm and dragging him out the door, where Xing escorted them down the hall.

Goku kicked and bit and screamed and did everything he could to try and keep himself from his date with death. He'd almost managed to wiggle away from his captors, before one of them dealt a powerful blow to his stomach, making his vision blur at the edges and his legs turn to jelly. Then Xing calmly stated that he would have to learn to behave, should something unfortunate happen to Nataku. Goku had given up all resistance.

They entered a large, circular shape room with a glass roof. Through the ceiling, Goku could plainly see the full moon shining down upon them, stars dancing around it, mocking him. In the center of the room was a giant pentagram with odd shaped markings and French words written on the rim. Goku couldn't read them, and a part of him was glad. In the center of the pentagram were a large wooden cross and a stone table set up in front of it. Goku shuddered at the thought of what they would be used for.

Standing outside the pentagram were hundreds of Drifters. They were all dressed in the same navy blue robe with their hoods snapped up. There couldn't be more then five hundred all standing about, their eyes practically glued to him as he entered. Through the crowds of faces Goku could spot Homura, standing in a straight line with seven others. Sanzo was there next to him, and, to Goku's surprise, was the only one not looking at him. His eyes were covered by his hood, and even if it wasn't, Goku could feel his gaze directed elsewhere. Goku found it peculiar that Sanzo's lips were moving, though no sound escaped him. Was he chanting something…?

He was dragged into the center of the pentagram, where he was tied to what looked like a large cross. His arms and feet were bound down with tight ropes that chafed Goku's skin. He struggled only momentarily, before his attention snapped back to Xing and the rest of the Drifters.

Xing carefully pulled out five scrolls from his bag—the heaven and earth scrolls, Goku knew instantly—and began placing them around the circle. They were all placed on the five points of the star. Xing turned and said something in French to someone; the person nodded and bowed, before disappearing out the doors. He returned a moment later with Nataku bound together and slumped over his shoulder. Goku's eyes widened immediately, and he began to struggle with newfound intensity.

"Xing!" he roared, pulling uselessly on the restraints as Nataku was tied down to the stone tablet in front of him. "You swore you'd let Nataku go free!"

Xing turned his attention up towards Goku who hung uselessly on the wooden cross, and grinned a sickly grin. "I did?" he asked with a false surprise as his eyes glinted with bloodlust. "I guess I lied."

As he turned back towards the Drifters, Goku let out another roar, yanking and struggling in a vain attempt to get free and help his unconscious friend. But then Sanzo's words from the previous night came back to him, and Goku forced himself to calm. Losing his temper would prove foolish.

As Xing turned back to face him, his eyes hardened into seriousness, and he produced a long, sharp dagger from his belt. In that moment Goku felt his heart stop. "Let's begin," he stated loudly in the silent room.

Suddenly, all the Drifters in the room brought their hands together, almost in prayer. A low chanting began to rumble throughout the room, though the words were in French and Goku could not understand them. Goku's eyes snapped back to the line of people Xing stood next to. All eight Drifters did not join in the chanting, and instead looked about smug. Save for Sanzo, who was still chanting wordlessly. But by the way his lips moved, Goku knew it wasn't the same chant the rest of the Drifters were muttering. From his angle on the cross, Goku finally spotted when it was Sanzo was staring intently at. He followed the blond's eyesight down towards the Maten scripture, which twitched unnoticeably where it sat. Goku's eyes narrowed. What was Sanzo up to?

He couldn't dwell on it any longer as the pentagram suddenly lit up with magic. Goku couldn't help but gasp at the power that surged all around him. He could feel it in the air, almost see it in the room. The seven members stepped into the pentagram, and Goku could feel the wave in power as they took up their positions about the pentagram. Sanzo had to cease in his chanting as he took up the spot just to Goku's left. Homura was on his right, and Xing was in the center, still holding the glinting dagger. Goku yanked on the restraints once more for good measure.

"For centuries we have waited for this moment!" Xing called out, the sound of his voice overpowering the dull chanting in the room. Despite the fact that everyone in the room was focused on their chants, it was easy to see that they were all listening intently. "And finally, the human race shall fall!"

"We shall offer up the blood of a young man," Xing continued as he took an advancing step towards Nataku; Goku growled and struggled, "To Seiten Taisei. And he shall descend to our vessel. Then he shall rain righteousness and justice down upon the humans who have been blind and dumb for so long! He shall be our angel of retribution, brothers! And then…" his voice dropped a few notches as he let a smile catch his lips. "The world… will be ours for the taking."

As Xing gripped the dagger in his hand, Goku couldn't help but let out a choked sob. Nataku was going to die, and all he could do was lie there and watch as his best friend was stabbed in front of him. He shut his eyes, trying to block out the sight. It was all over; it was the end of everything.

The good guys lost.

But Xing didn't stab Nataku right away. Instead, he turned to Sanzo, and held the dagger out to him. Sanzo let his confused gaze flicker over the dagger, then back up to Xing as the man smiled. "Sanzo," the brunet said slowly. "I want to give you the honors of restoring our race."

Sanzo's eyes radiated guilt and horror, though only to those tuned to see it. He steeled himself over immediately. "But, I…" he started out, before he took in the blade in Xing's hand. Turning to spare a glance at Nataku, Sanzo sighed through his nose. "All right."

Goku watched in horror as Sanzo accepted the dagger, and stepped up in front of Nataku. He held it in both hands, anxiety simmering off of him. Goku grit his teeth, his eyes betraying his silent orders and watering with tears. "Sanzo!" he screamed, his voice hoarse. "You can't do this! Stop! Think about what you're doing! _Please!_"

Sanzo turned his attention up towards Goku, and for a moment, gold met violet. In only a moment, an eternity of understanding passed between the two people standing adjacent to one another. The anger, bitterness and tension that Goku had been feeling for so long began to dissipate like snow dusting from the rooftops. What was revealed then, Goku found, was nothing but trust and love for the violet eyes he had trapped within his gaze. He let his muscles relax, slumping back down onto the cross. Sanzo stared at him, his emotions completely masked, but Goku knew. He knew what was going through the man's mind as though Sanzo's thoughts were his own.

"I trust you," Goku whispered.

"I know," Sanzo replied, just as softly.

Then, without warning, Sanzo spun on his heel and hurled the dagger into the closest throat. The Drifter he'd hit sputtered as it fell to the floor and bled to death. Most of the other Drifters were caught up in their chanting and didn't even notice, but a few of them snapped out of their daze, realizing something was wrong.

Sanzo had betrayed them.

Before the shock that had seized the audience had worn off, Sanzo had gripped his gun from the air, tearing it from nothing and shooting three more Drifters. Goku watched his lover dance, shooting and dodging and attacking as the men around him began to realize what it was that was going on. Sanzo was amazing and flawless, his golden hair haloing him, giving him the impression of an angel from heaven. But his demonic violet eyes contradicted his heavenly appearance, making him seem like a creature that had crawled up from the depths of hell.

Sanzo spun again, nailing another man in the throat. Goku could only grin, feeling the adrenaline building inside him. It looked like Sanzo could handle the nut jobs all on his own and they'd be out of there by sunrise. But as Goku watched Xing, he realized the man was smiling. He also began to realize that Sanzo was beginning to tire, and there were many more men closing in around him.

Out of nowhere it seemed, Homura sprung forwards. His ungloved hand clamped down on Sanzo's shoulder, and the man let out a horrific scream, dropping to his knees. Goku had seen what Homura's touch could do to his lamp, and could only imagine the pain Sanzo was in. As soon as the blond hit the floor, he was pinned by several dozen men, and his gun was taken from him. Goku's fear began to arise once more as Xing approached the man who had been hit with the dagger. He yanked it out of his throat, showing no concern whatsoever for the man that gurgled and gasped on the floor.

"You've gotten good, Sanzo," Xing muttered as he stepped back up to the stone table. He studied the blade in his hands, as though he could see it. "But not good enough."

And then with one full thrust, Xing shoved the dagger into Nataku's heart.

The young man's eyes snapped open, and he gasped. His eyes widened and he gasped out silently, hands clutching the dagger still imbedded in his chest but not having the strength to pull it out. His body shook with painful tremors as blood began to leek out onto the stone table, dripping down onto the floor. With a painful yank, Xing ripped the dagger from the young man's chest. Nataku squeaked, in far too much pain to scream, and clutched the wound that had pierced his heart.

Then he fell still, his eyes gazing sightlessly up towards the ceiling, out towards the full, bright moon.

The entire room was silent, save for the few Drifters that had managed to keep chanting. Sanzo could feel his own fear and apprehension building, and even the grip on him had loosened slightly. His violet eyes snapped up towards Goku, who was staring at the lifeless form of his dead friend. He didn't appear to be breathing, simply staring with wide, golden eyes that were slowly collecting tears.

Then, as though it hit him all at once, Goku began to scream.

The shift in power at Goku's emotional outburst was dramatic. The swirling, consuming energy began to focus directly in on Goku, and the blond cursed. He knew this was going to happen. Goku's unstable emotions practically opened the door for Seiten Taisei to cross over into his body. The glass roof over them shattered, raining tiny shards of glass down upon them. Everyone moved to cover their heads as the piercing rain passed over them.

Sanzo's attention snapped back up to Goku, who was still screaming. With a sudden creaking, the cross holding Goku snapped, sending the brunet falling to the floor. As soon as he hit the stone ground everything ceased: the wind, the energy, the chanting. It all stopped as silence began to settle over them, wondering if their ritual had worked.

Had they summoned the great Seiten Taisei?

The moment of silence began to drag on for several long minutes, each member holding their breath as they watched and waited. A low, rumbling laughter began to emit from the still brunet on the ground and Sanzo's heart seized as Goku began to stir. He slowly stood up; head bent over and bangs dancing before his eyes. It looked as though Goku was having some trouble keeping his equilibrium, but he managed to steady himself. The closest man to him suddenly found his throat ripped out as Goku reached. Long deadly claws tore the scream right from the man's throat, leaving him to crumple to the ground in a pathetic mass of blood and violence.

A chuckle emitted from the creature as it slowly raised its head. Goku's normally innocent golden orbs were now tainted with bloodlust, circular irises replaced with cat-like slits. A smile caught its lips as his eyes caught Sanzo's.

"C'est le mien," the creature said in a low tone, one that didn't suit Goku at all. And then it struck.

___

French Translations:

"It's mine."

**A/N: **I apologize to everyone who's been waiting for me to update. I know it's been a long time, and I'm working to get better at that.

I hope you enjoyed! This story is coming to an end, so please leave your comments and criticism.


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